Prepositions with Cities and Countries (à, en, au)
Grammar Rule in 30 Seconds
Use 'à' for cities, 'en' for feminine countries, and 'au' for masculine countries to describe where you are or are going.
- Cities: Always use 'à' (e.g., à Paris).
- Feminine Countries: Use 'en' (e.g., en France).
- Masculine Countries: Use 'au' (e.g., au Japon).
Overview
French prepositions of place, specifically when referring to cities and countries, present a nuanced system for learners. Unlike English, which often uses a single preposition like "in" or "to" for various locations, French differentiates based on the type, grammatical gender, and initial sound of the place name. Mastering this system is fundamental for accurate expression and natural communication in French, preventing common errors such as Je vais au France.
This guide will dissect the usage of à, en, and au (along with its plural form aux) for geographical locations. We will explore the underlying linguistic principles, provide clear formation rules, and address common pitfalls. By understanding the grammatical logic, you will confidently express where you are, where you are going, and where you come from.
How This Grammar Works
le Canada, le Japon) or feminine (la France, l'Allemagne). A general rule of thumb is that countries ending in the letter -e are feminine, while others are masculine. However, there are significant exceptions to this rule, such as le Mexique, le Cambodge, and le Mozambique, which end in -e but are masculine.à contracts with masculine singular articles (le) to form au (à + le = au).à contracts with plural articles (les) to form aux (à + les = aux). When a feminine country or a masculine country starting with a vowel is involved, en is preferred to avoid awkward vowel clashes, promoting a smoother flow of speech. This ensures that phrases like en Iran are more natural to pronounce than au Iran.à | Consistent, no gender influence in this context. |en | Historically linked to feminine nouns; promotes euphony. |en | Euphony: avoids vowel hiatus. |au | Contraction of à + le. |aux | Contraction of à + les. |Je vais à Paris (I am going to Paris), Elle est en France (She is in France), and Nous travaillons au Canada (We are working in Canada) all demonstrate this systematic approach.Formation Pattern
à
à when indicating presence or movement. This is the simplest rule, as cities do not typically carry a grammatical gender that influences preposition choice in this specific context.
J'habite à Lyon. (I live in Lyon.)
Tu vas à Tokyo pour les vacances ? (Are you going to Tokyo for the holidays?)
Nous travaillons à Londres. (We work in London.)
en
la France, l'Espagne, l'Italie, l'Allemagne), use the preposition en. This en is a fixed, non-contracting form.
Elle est née en France. (She was born in France.)
Nous voyageons en Italie chaque été. (We travel to Italy every summer.)
Ils vivent en Suisse depuis dix ans. (They have lived in Switzerland for ten years.)
en
l'Iran, l'Angola, l'Israël), it will also use en. This choice is driven by euphony, preventing the awkward sound collision that would occur with au (à + le). The n of en often creates a subtle liaison with the following vowel.
Mon ami est en Iran pour son travail. (My friend is in Iran for his work.)
Vous allez en Angola l'année prochaine ? (Are you going to Angola next year?)
Le conflit s'est intensifié en Afghanistan. (The conflict intensified in Afghanistan.)
au
le Canada, le Japon, le Brésil) use the preposition au. This form is a contraction of à + le, where le is the definite masculine singular article. You cannot use à le; it must always contract to au.
Je rêve d'aller au Japon. (I dream of going to Japan.)
Il travaille au Portugal en ce moment. (He is working in Portugal right now.)
Nous avons de la famille au Brésil. (We have family in Brazil.)
aux
les États-Unis, les Pays-Bas, les Philippines) use the preposition aux. This is a contraction of à + les, where les is the definite plural article. Like au, à les is grammatically incorrect and must always contract to aux.
Elles partent aux États-Unis demain. (They are leaving for the United States tomorrow.)
Vous habitez aux Pays-Bas, n'est-ce pas ? (You live in the Netherlands, don't you?)
Ils ont visité aux Philippines l'an dernier. (They visited the Philippines last year.)
à | à Paris, à Rome, à New York |
la (silent e) | en | en France, en Espagne, en Suisse |
l' (liaison n) | en | en Iran, en Angola, en Israël |
| le (contracts to au)| au | au Canada, au Japon, au Brésil` |
les (contracts to aux)| aux | aux États-Unis, aux Pays-Bas |
à/en/au (in/to), it is essential to briefly note the corresponding prepositions for origin. These also depend on gender and number:
de (de Paris, de Londres)
de (de France, d'Italie)
d' (d'Iran, d'Angola)
du (du Canada, du Japon)
des (des États-Unis, des Pays-Bas)
When To Use It
à, en, au, and aux are used specifically to indicate either presence within a location or movement towards a location. A crucial aspect for A1 learners is to grasp that French often uses the same preposition for bothPreposition Selection Guide
| Category | Gender/Type | Preposition | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
|
City
|
N/A
|
à
|
à Paris
|
|
Country
|
Feminine
|
en
|
en France
|
|
Country
|
Masculine
|
au
|
au Japon
|
|
Country
|
Plural
|
aux
|
aux États-Unis
|
Contractions
| Preposition | Article | Contraction |
|---|---|---|
|
à
|
le
|
au
|
|
à
|
les
|
aux
|
Meanings
These prepositions indicate location (where you are) or direction (where you are going) relative to cities and countries.
Location/Direction
Indicating presence in or movement toward a geographical place.
“Je suis à Berlin.”
“Nous allons en Espagne.”
Reference Table
| Form | Structure | Example |
|---|---|---|
|
Affirmative
|
Subject + Verb + Prep + Place
|
Je vais à Paris.
|
|
Negative
|
Subject + ne + Verb + pas + Prep + Place
|
Je ne vais pas en France.
|
|
Question
|
Est-ce que + Subject + Verb + Prep + Place?
|
Est-ce que tu vas au Japon?
|
|
Inversion
|
Verb + Subject + Prep + Place?
|
Vas-tu à Londres?
|
|
Short Answer
|
Oui/Non + Prep + Place
|
Oui, en Italie.
|
|
Plural
|
Prep + les + Place
|
Je vais aux États-Unis.
|
Formality Spectrum
Je réside à Paris. (Residence)
J'habite à Paris. (Residence)
J'suis à Paris. (Residence)
J'habite sur Paris. (Residence)
Geographical Preposition Map
City
- à at/in
Feminine Country
- en in
Masculine Country
- au in
Examples by Level
J'habite à Paris.
I live in Paris.
Je vais en France.
I am going to France.
Il est au Japon.
He is in Japan.
Nous sommes à Lyon.
We are in Lyon.
Elle travaille en Italie.
She works in Italy.
Tu habites au Canada?
Do you live in Canada?
Je voyage à Madrid.
I am traveling to Madrid.
Ils habitent en Espagne.
They live in Spain.
Je pars en vacances au Portugal.
I am going on vacation to Portugal.
Elle a déménagé à Berlin l'année dernière.
She moved to Berlin last year.
Il étudie en Allemagne.
He is studying in Germany.
Nous irons au Mexique en été.
We will go to Mexico in the summer.
Le sommet a eu lieu à Genève.
The summit took place in Geneva.
L'entreprise est basée en Belgique.
The company is based in Belgium.
Il a voyagé au Vietnam pour son travail.
He traveled to Vietnam for his work.
Elle réside en Suisse depuis deux ans.
She has resided in Switzerland for two years.
La conférence se tiendra à Bruxelles.
The conference will be held in Brussels.
Il a passé son enfance en Argentine.
He spent his childhood in Argentina.
Le projet est déployé au Maroc.
The project is deployed in Morocco.
Elle a été nommée ambassadrice en Grèce.
She was appointed ambassador in Greece.
Les accords ont été signés à Vienne.
The agreements were signed in Vienna.
Il a vécu en Égypte durant la révolution.
He lived in Egypt during the revolution.
Le siège social est situé au Luxembourg.
The headquarters is located in Luxembourg.
Elle a étudié la culture au Pérou.
She studied the culture in Peru.
Easily Confused
Learners use 'dans' for location like in English.
Learners don't know the gender of the country.
Learners use 'en' for cities.
Common Mistakes
à France
en France
en Paris
à Paris
au France
en France
en Japon
au Japon
à le Japon
au Japon
en Canada
au Canada
à États-Unis
aux États-Unis
dans France
en France
au Italie
en Italie
à Mexique
au Mexique
en Londres
à Londres
au Allemagne
en Allemagne
à Brésil
au Brésil
en États-Unis
aux États-Unis
Sentence Patterns
J'habite à ___.
Je vais en ___.
Il travaille au ___.
Nous voyageons aux ___.
Real World Usage
En vacances au Mexique!
Vol pour le Japon.
J'ai travaillé en Allemagne.
T'es à Paris ?
Cuisine du Japon.
Le sommet à Genève.
Check the ending
No 'à' for countries
Plural countries
City vs Country
Smart Tips
Check if it ends in 'e'.
Always use 'à'.
Use 'au'.
Use 'aux'.
Pronunciation
Liaison
When the next word starts with a vowel, the 'n' in 'en' is pronounced.
Rising for questions
Tu vas au Japon ? ↑
Indicates a question.
Memorize It
Mnemonic
Cities are 'à' (a point), feminine countries are 'en' (the 'e' matches), masculine countries are 'au' (the 'u' is for the masculine).
Visual Association
Imagine a map. Put a tiny dot (à) on cities. Draw a circle around feminine countries (en) and a square around masculine ones (au).
Rhyme
Cities take à, countries take en, unless they are masculine, then use au again.
Story
Marie lives in Paris (à). She travels to France (en) to visit her friend. Then she flies to Japan (au) for work.
Word Web
Challenge
Write 5 sentences about where you live and where you want to travel using the correct prepositions.
Cultural Notes
French people are very precise about these prepositions; using the wrong one is a clear marker of a non-native speaker.
The rules remain the same, but regional names like 'au Québec' are common.
Similar to France, 'en Belgique' is used.
These prepositions evolved from Latin 'ad' (to) and 'in' (in).
Conversation Starters
Où habites-tu ?
Tu aimes voyager ?
Où est ton entreprise ?
Quelle ville préfères-tu ?
Journal Prompts
Common Mistakes
Test Yourself
J'habite ___ Paris.
Je vais ___ France.
Find and fix the mistake:
Il est à Japon.
aller / nous / Japon / au
Match each item on the left with its pair on the right:
Ils habitent ___ États-Unis.
Elle travaille ___ Italie.
Find and fix the mistake:
Je suis en Londres.
Score: /8
Practice Exercises
8 exercisesJ'habite ___ Paris.
Je vais ___ France.
Find and fix the mistake:
Il est à Japon.
aller / nous / Japon / au
Paris, France, Japon
Ils habitent ___ États-Unis.
Elle travaille ___ Italie.
Find and fix the mistake:
Je suis en Londres.
Score: /8
Practice Bank
10 exercisesNous voyageons ___ Japon.
Tu vas ___ Espagne ?
Je suis en Londres.
I am in the United States.
habitons / en / Nous / Suisse
Bienvenue ___ Mexique !
Match the pairs:
Elle vient ___ Brésil.
Je vais en Portugal.
I am going to Berlin.
Score: /10
FAQ (8)
Japon is masculine, France is feminine.
No, use 'en' or 'au'.
Cities always use 'à'.
Yes, some islands like 'à Cuba'.
If it doesn't end in 'e', it's usually masculine.
Use 'aux'.
Only for specific islands.
Use flashcards for country genders.
Scaffolded Practice
1
2
3
4
Mastery Progress
Needs Practice
Improving
Strong
Mastered
In Other Languages
en
French requires gender and type distinction.
in/nach
French uses the same preposition for both.
in/to
French is highly sensitive to noun gender.
ni/e
French prepositions come before the noun.
fi/ila
French merges location and direction.
zai
French has a complex system of prepositions.
Learning Path
Prerequisites
Related Videos
Related Grammar Rules
French Conjunctions of Purpose: Using 'pour' (pour + infinitive)
Overview Ever found yourself pointing at a menu or a train station map while making weird grunting noises? We’ve all bee...
French Connectors: And, Or, But (et, ou, mais)
Overview In French, as in any language, the ability to connect ideas is fundamental. The three most essential tools for...
French Contractions with 'à' (au, aux)
Overview French, renowned for its melodic quality and inherent fluidity, employs various grammatical mechanisms to achie...
French Time Prepositions: When to use à, en, and dans
Overview Mastering French time prepositions – `à`, `en`, and `dans` – is fundamental to precise communication. While Eng...
French Contractions with De: du, des
Overview French, like many Romance languages, prioritizes euphony and phonetic flow. This linguistic principle drives th...
