3 – Les vacances
Grammaire: 3.2 – Les prépositions avec les villes, pays, et continents
Prepositions with cities, countries, and continents
Prepositions are used in expressions which relate where you are, where you are going and where you are coming from.
The preposition used in such expressions depends on:
- whether you are going (to), are coming (from), or are (in/at) that location
- the nature of the location (city/island vs. other places)
- the gender/number of that location
- Remember: all countries and continents ending in “e” are feminin
- Ex: la France – la Polynésie vs. le Vietnam – le Kenya
- The only exception is: le Mexique
- Remember: all countries and continents ending in “e” are feminin
Review the list of countries and continents here if needed
| geographic location | to/in | from |
| Cites and islands | à | de (d’) |
| cites (Paris, Londres, Austin) | à Paris | d’Austin |
| islands (Cuba, Tahiti) | à Cuba | de Tahiti |
| All other places – feminine (usually ending in -e) | en | de (d’) |
| countries (la France) | en France | de France |
| states (la Californie) | en Californie | de Californie |
| provinces (la Bourgogne) | en Bourgogne | de Bourgogne |
| continents (l’Europe) | en Europe | d’Europe |
| All other places – masculine | au | du |
| countries (le Canada, le Texas) | au Canada | du Texas |
| provinces/states (le Colorado) | au Colorado | du Colorado |
| All other places – masculine beginning with a vowel | en | de (d’) |
| countries (l’Iran) | en Iran | d’Iran |
| provinces/states (l’Ontario) | en Ontario | d’Ontario |
| All other places – plural | aux | des |
| (les Etats-Unis) | aux Etats-Unis | des Etats-Unis |
