Usage of prepositions with names of countries and cities in French
In French, unlike in English, most countries have a grammatical gender associated with their names. This means that the names of countries are either masculine or feminine. The gender assigned to a country’s name does not necessarily relate to the country itself but is a linguistic feature in French.
Here are some general guidelines for assigning gender to countries in French:
- Masculine Countries (Pays Masculins):
- Countries that generally do not end with an ‘e’ or end with a consonant are masculine in French like le Canada, le Japon, le Portugal.
- Feminine Countries (Pays Féminins):
- Countries that are typically feminine in French often end with the letter ‘e’ such as la France, l’Inde, la Belgique, l’Argentine.
There are some exceptions to these rules, as a few countries do not follow the typical gender assignment based on their names. These countries end with an ‘e’ but are masculine.
| Country | Les Pays | Nationalité | Singulair | Plural | ||
| Adjective | Masculine | Féminine | Masc.Pl | Fem.Pl | ||
| Mexico | Le Mexique | Mexican | mexicain | mexicaine | mexicains | mexicaines |
| Zimbabwe | Le Zimbabwe | Zimbabwean | zimbabwéen | zimbabwéenne | zimbabwéens | zimbabwéennes |
| Mozambique | Le Mozambique | Mozambican | Mozambicain | Mozambicaine | Mozambicains | Mozambicaines |
| Cambodia | Le Cambodge | Cambodia | Cambodgien | cambodgienne | cambodgiens | cambodgiennes |
Few countries are plural in French. These countries are mostly plural or ending with an ‘s’ in English too.
pays de Galles – Wales seems like it is plural but it is masculine.
| Country | Les Pays | Country | Les Pays |
| USA | Les États-Unis | Philippines | Les Philippines |
| West Indies | Les Antilles | Seychelles | Les Seychelles |
| Netherlands | Les Pays-Bas | Faroe Islands | Les îles Féroé |
To know more about adjectives in French read this article Les Adjectifs.
Download the list of french adjectives here.
When speaking about countries in French, you’ll need to use the appropriate definite article (le, la, l’) and prepositions (en, au, aux) based on the gender of the country’s name. It is essential to learn the gender of countries along with their associated articles and prepositions when speaking French, as this aspect is an integral part of the language’s grammar.
Let’s understand the preposition to be used with countries in different contexts.
Countries – en , au , aux
When talking about going to, working in or living in a country, you typically use the preposition ‘en’ if the country is feminine (including the ones that start with a vowel) and ‘au’ if the country is masculine and ‘aux’ if the country is plural.
Verbs used will usually be aller – to go, visiter – to visit, vivre-to live, habiter-to live and travailler-to work.
I live in India – J’habite en Inde.
I am going to Portugal – Je vais au Portugal.
I am going to France – Je vais en France.
They live in United States of America – Ils habitent aux Etats-Unis.
He works in Switzerland – Il travaille en Suisse.
City – à
To express going to or living or being in a place the preposition before the country will be ‘à’. Cities do not have any gender so it is the same for all cities.
I live in Bangalore – J’habite à Bangalore.
I am going to Lisbon – Je vais à Lisbon.
She is working to Paris – Elle traville à Paris.
They are in New York – Ils sont à New-York.
Countries – de, du, d’
To express coming from or belonging to a country the preposition before the country will be ‘de’ if the country is feminine and ‘du’ if the country is masculine and ‘des’ if the country is plural and if the country name starts with a vowel then it will be ‘d’. Verbs will usually be etre and venir.
I am from India – Je suis d’Inde
I am coming from Portugal – Je viens du Portugal
She is from France – Elle est de France
They are coming from the United States of America – Ils viennent des Etats-Unis
He is speaking about West Indies – Il parle des Antilles.
City – de, d’
To express coming from or belonging to a city the preposition before the country will be ‘de’ and d’ for names of cities starting with a vowel.
I am from Bangalore – Je suis de Bangalore
She is from Paris – Elle vient de Paris
I am coming from Abu Dhabi – Je viens d‘Abu Dhabi
Windmills have been a significant part of Dutch history for centuries. They were traditionally used for a variety of purposes, such as draining water from low-lying areas, reclaiming land from the sea (poldering), grinding grain into flour, sawing wood, and more.
Photo by Enes Dincer on Unsplash
The Netherlands is characterized by flat landscapes, with a significant portion of its land situated below sea level. Managing water levels has been a constant challenge, and windmills historically served as an essential tool for pumping water out of low-lying areas to prevent flooding and reclaiming land for agricultural use.
The Dutch have a long-standing tradition of expertise in engineering and water management. Windmills were a prime example of their innovative solutions for dealing with water-related challenges. Though many traditional windmills have been replaced by modern technology, they remain an iconic symbol of Dutch culture and heritage.
Windmills have become a symbol of the Netherlands and attract tourists from all over the world. Several windmill sites and museums offer visitors a glimpse into their historical significance and functioning.
This explains its name in French as Pays-Bas which translates to low-country Pays=Country and Bas=Low.
Exercise 1:
Exercise 1: Fill in the blanks with the appropriate preposition:
- Je vais ___ Canada en été.
- Elle habite ___ États-Unis.
- Nous sommes ___ Mexique pour les vacances.
- Mon ami est ___ Japon depuis trois mois.
- Ils viennent ___ Portugal pour le travail.
- J’ai étudié la cuisine ___ France.
- Ma sœur a visité ___ Brésil l’année dernière.
- Ils parlent ___ Italie avec enthousiasme.
- Ce livre parle ___ histoire de l’Espagne.
- Ils sont ___________ Royaume-Uni pour les affaires.
- Ils habitent ________ États-Unis depuis longtemps.
- Elle vient ___________ Pays-Bas.
- Mon ami est ___ Pays-de-Galles depuis trois mois.
- J’ai parle ____ Pays-Bas.
- Tu vas _________ Londres ________ Angleterre ?
- Elles vont ___________ campagne à moto.
- Il vient __________ Japon en avion.
- Elles sont ___________ Italie _________ Venice.
- Je travaille _________ Inde __________ Mumbai.
- Nous visitons _________________ Mexique.
- Il vient ___________ Pays-de-Galles ____________ Royaume-Uni.
- Vous venez _____________ Australie.
- Elle est ______________ Belgique.
