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Geographical Names

 

 

• For cities, islands, or groups of islands that aren’t countries or provinces:

 

• Use the preposition à to express to or in

 

Ex. J’habite à Madrid.

 

• Use the preposition de or d’ to express from

 

Ex. Nous sommes de Marseille.

 

• Cities that have definite articles as part of their name (La nouvelle-Orléans) always keep the article.

 

Ex. Vous allez à Le Havre.

 

• For singular feminine names of countries and French provinces (ending with –e), as well as names of all the continents (ending with –e), feminine states, and masculine singular names of states and countries beginning with a vowel sound:

 

• Use the preposition en to express to or in.

 

Ex. Ma famille voyage en Louisiane.

 

• Use the preposition de or d’ to express from.

 

Ex. Nous sommes partis d’Israël.

 

 

• For singular masculine names of countries, provinces, and states, use the preposition à + definite article (au) to express to or in.

 

Ex. Il vivront au Sénégal l’année prochaine.

 

• NOTE: There are 4 countries whose names end in –e and are masculine: le Mexique, le Zimbabwe, le Mozambique, and le Cambodge.

 

 

 

• Use the preposition de + du to express from.

 

Ex. Mes ancêtres viennent du Danemark.

 

 

• For all plural names of geographical areas:

 

• Use the preposition à to definite article (aux) to express in or to.

 

Ex. Elle part aux Philippines.

 

• Use the preposition de + des to express from.

 

Ex. Nous sommes originaires des Antilles.

 

• When talking about states you can also use the following constructions:

 

• To express in or to, use (dans l’Etat de) for feminine and masculine states beginning with a vowel sound, and (dans l’Etat du) for other masculine states.

 

Ex. J’habite dans l’Etat du Texas.

 

• To express from, use (de l’Etat de) for feminine and masculine states with a vowel sound and (de l’Etat du) for other masculine states.

 

Ex. John est de l’Etat de Virginie.