59 - Prepositions For Countries in French (Part II)

 
 

🌎 Listen to this episode to find out how to translate the prepositions “to” and "in" when followed by a country name in French. (Part I in episode 58!)

If you’d prefer to listen on the go, listen to the episode on Apple Podcasts or Spotify.

Links & Cheat Sheet

Transcript

Intro: Welcome to the French Made Easy podcast, where I give you all the basics you need to speak French clearly and confidently. I'm your host, Mathilde, and I'm a French teacher, mumpreneur, and bread and cheese lover. Join me as I dive into all things French for beginners, and deliver to you bite-sized and easy-to-follow lessons every Tuesday. Let's get started, "on commence"!

Hi guys! Bonjour Ă  tous! Welcome back to the French Made Easy podcast! This is episode number 59, numĂ©ro 59. 

This lesson is part II of our lesson on prepositions before countries. If you haven't listened to part I, then, pause this episode and listen to episode 58, otherwise, that might not make much sense.

So in this lesson part II, which is the episode you're listening to today, you'll learn how to translate the preposition "to" and "in" before a country name in French.

So, before we get started, as usual, please download your lesson's cheat sheet; it's going to be much easier for you to understand. It's free. After the lesson, go and download your lesson's exercises, to practice what you've learned. It's also free.

Alright, vous ĂŞtes prĂŞts? Let's get started. 

When followed by a country name, here are the French prepositions you need to use to translate the word "to" and "in: 

  • au

  • en

  • aux

Great, so which one to choose? 

Well, again, it depends on three things.

  1. Is the country feminine or masculine?

  2. Is the country singular or plural?

  3. Does the country name starts with a vowel or not?

  • If the country is masculine singular, use "au"

For example, "J'habite au Canada." (I live in Canada.) "Je vais au Canada" (I'm going to Canada.) "le Canada" is a masculine country, so to say "in Canada" or "to Canada" use the preposition "au." 

  • If the country is feminine singular, use "en"

For example, "J'habite en France." (I live in France.) or "Je vais en France." (I go to France.) "la France" is a feminine country, so to say "in France," or "to France" use the preposition "en."

  • If the country is feminine or masculine singular starting with a vowel, use "en"

For example, "J'habite en Algérie." (I live in Algeria.) "J'habite en Iran." (I live in Iran.) Both Algérie and Iran start with a vowel, so you need to use the preposition "en."

  • If the country is plural, use "aux"

For example, "J'habite aux États-Unis." (I live in the United-States.) or "Je vais aux États-Unis." (I go to the United States.) "Les États-Unis" is plural, so you need to use the préposition "aux."

Alright, so to recap: 

To say "in" or "to" before a country, say:

  • "au" if the country is masculine singular

  • "en" if the country is feminine singular

  • "en" if the country is feminine or masculine singular starting with a vowel

  • "aux" if the country is plural

And voilĂ ! That's now the end of today's lesson! Thanks so much for listening. Don't forget to go and download your lesson's exercises to practice what you've learned today. If you enjoyed this episode, I'd really appreciate a quick rating and review on Apple Podcast. 

Talk to you guys next week!

Merci beaucoup, et Ă  bientĂ´t!

Mathilde KienComment