French Phrase
Les places prioritaires sont vers l'avant.
Meaning
The sentence tells you that the seats reserved for people with priority (elderly, pregnant, disabled, etc.) are located towards the front of the vehicle or venue. It is a neutral, informational statement.
When to use
Use this phrase in public‑transport announcements, at a theater, in a conference hall, or whenever you need to point out where the priority seats are situated.
✦Grammar Breakdown
Lesplacesprioritairessontversl'avant.
Article + Noun Agreement
The plural article « les » matches the plural noun « places », so the adjective must also be plural.
Adjective Agreement
« prioritaires » agrees in gender (feminine) and number (plural) with « places ».
Être (to be) – Present
« sont » is the third‑person plural present of « être », used because the subject is plural.
Preposition « vers »
« vers » means ‘towards’ and is used to indicate direction without implying exact location.
Contraction « l' »
When a vowel follows the definite article « le », it contracts to « l' » (l’avant).
🗨In Conversation
Excusez‑moi, où sont les places prioritaires ?
Excuse me, where are the priority seats?
Les places prioritaires sont vers l'avant.
The priority seats are towards the front.
✕Common Mistakes
Les place prioritaires sont vers l'avant.
The noun is plural, so the article and adjective must also be plural.
Les places prioritaires sont vers le avant.
« l' » contracts the article before a vowel; you cannot keep the full article.
Les places prioritaires sont en avant.
« en avant » is not used to indicate a location; the correct preposition is « vers » or « à ».
↔Alternatives
Les sièges réservés sont à l'avant.
The reserved seats are at the front.
Les places réservées se trouvent à l'avant.
The reserved seats are located at the front.
Les places prioritaires se situent à l'avant du wagon.
The priority seats are situated at the front of the carriage.
Cultural Tip
In France, priority seats (places prioritaires) are legally required on trains, buses, and metros for seniors, pregnant women, people with reduced mobility, and passengers with small children. It is considered rude to occupy them if you do not belong to one of these groups, and staff may ask you to move. The phrase « vers l'avant » is common in transport announcements, but you may also hear « à l'avant »; both are correct, though « vers » stresses direction rather than exact position.