Which Prepositions to Use with Country and City Names in French?

Chann Faucheur
Apr 10
3 min read

Ever wondered if you should say "j’habite en France", "au France", or "de France"? If you're learning French and feeling confused about the right prepositions to use with country or city names, this article is for you!

Let’s break it all down clearly so you can finally say with confidence where you live, where you’re going, or where you’re from — in perfect French.

Are Country Names in French Masculine or Feminine?

Before you can use the correct preposition, you first need to know the gender of the country — is it masculine, feminine, or plural?

👉 Easy tip:In general, country names ending in -e are feminine, and those not ending in -e are masculine.

✅ Feminine countries:

la France (France)
la Hongrie (Hungary)
l’Espagne (Spain)
l’Italie (Italy)

👉 Note: Use “l’” before countries that begin with a vowel, like l’Espagne or l’Argentine.

✅ Masculine countries:

le Japon (Japan)
le Brésil (Brazil)
le Vietnam
le Canada

✅ Plural countries:

les États-Unis (the United States)
les Philippines
les Pays-Bas (the Netherlands)

❗ Exceptions to the “ends in -e = feminine” rule:

Some countries end in “-e” but are actually masculine. You’ll need to memorize these:

le Mexique (Mexico)
le Mozambique
le Zimbabwe
le Cambodge (Cambodia)

Prepositions for Talking About Going to or Being in a Country or City

Let’s look at which prepositions to use when talking about where you are or where you’re going.

▶️ Masculine countries → “au”

I live in Portugal → J’habite au Portugal
I’m going to Japan → Je vais au Japon

▶️ Feminine countries → “en”

I live in France → J’habite en France
I’m going to Spain → Je vais en Espagne

🎯 Special case: Masculine countries starting with a vowel → use “en” (for smoother pronunciation)

I live in Iran → J’habite en Iran
I’m going to Uruguay → Je vais en Uruguay

▶️ Plural countries → “aux”

I live in the U.S. → J’habite aux États-Unis
I’m going to the Philippines → Je vais aux Philippines

Prepositions for Talking About Where You’re From

When expressing where you come from, the prepositions change slightly depending on the gender and number of the country.

▶️ Masculine countries → “du”

I come from Vietnam → Je viens du Vietnam
He’s returning from Portugal → Il revient du Portugal

▶️ Feminine countries → “de”

I come from France → Je viens de France
She’s back from China → Elle revient de Chine

▶️ Plural countries → “des”

I come from the United States → Je viens des États-Unis
He’s returning from the Netherlands → Il revient des Pays-Bas

🎯 Special case: Countries starting with a vowel → use “d’”

I come from Spain → Je viens d’Espagne
She’s back from Uruguay → Elle revient d’Uruguay

What About Cities? One Simple Rule

Here’s the good news: City names are much easier!

▶️ To say where you are or where you’re going → “à”

I’m going to New York → Je vais à New York
I live in London → J’habite à Londres

▶️ To say where you’re from → “de” or “d’”

I come from Berlin → Je viens de Berlin
She’s from Rome → Elle vient de Rome

🎯 Special cases: Some island countries use “à” even though they are technically countries:

I live in à Madagascar
I’m going to à Cuba
I’m traveling to à Singapore

📌 Summary Table: Prepositions with Countries and Cities in French

Type of Place	Going to / Living in	Coming from
Masculine country	au	du
Feminine country	en	de
Masculine (vowel)	en	d’
Plural country	aux	des
City	à	de / d’

✍️ Practice Exercises: Which Preposition Should You Use?

Fill in the blanks with the correct preposition: en, au, aux, de, du, des, d’, or à.

Je vais ___ Italie cet été.
Il habite ___ Japon depuis trois ans.
Nous revenons ___ États-Unis.
Elle part ___ Berlin pour le travail.
Tu viens ___ Espagne ou ___ Portugal ?
Ils habitent ___ Philippines depuis leur mariage.
On va passer une semaine ___ Madagascar.
Mon frère est né ___ Cuba.
Je suis ___ Canada pour mes études.
Vous venez ___ Allemagne ou ___ Autriche ?

✅ Answer Key

Je vais en Italie cet été.
Il habite au Japon depuis trois ans.
Nous revenons des États-Unis.
Elle part à Berlin pour le travail.
Tu viens d’Espagne ou du Portugal ?
Ils habitent aux Philippines depuis leur mariage.
On va passer une semaine à Madagascar.
Mon frère est né à Cuba.
Je suis au Canada pour mes études.
Vous venez d’Allemagne ou d’Autriche ?