How To Express Location In French
Expressing location in French is trickier than in English, and the different nuances are expressed through different rules.
Dans, en, and à can all be used to express “in,” but their usage is very specific.
1) Dans means inside, or a known location:
Examples:
Je suis dans la ville./ I am inside the city.
Mon portefeuille est dans ma poche./ My wallet is inside my pocket.
2) À (au, à l’, à la, aux) means in/at, a general location, or a location without boundaries:
Examples:
Je suis à la campagne. / I am in the country.
Je suis à la montagne. / I am at the mountains.
3) En used with ville (city), prison (jail)
Examples:
Le voleur est en prison. / The thief is in jail.
Where and when to use the correct preposition.
| Location Nuance | Cities | Feminine countries/locations, or masculine locations starting with a vowel | Masculine locations not starting with a vowel | plurals |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| In | à | en | au | aux |
| To | à | en | au | aux |
| From | de (d’) | de (d’) | du | des |
Examples:
Nous sommes à Paris. / We are in Paris.
Ils viennent de Londres. / They come from London.
Ils arrivent en Espagne. / They arrive in Spain.
Vous vivez en Suisse. / You live in Switzerland.
Nous partons au Canada. / We leave for Canada.
Je viens du Mexique. / I come from Mexixo.
Ils ont attéris aux Bahamas. / They have landed in the Bahamas.
Tu viens des Etats-Unis. / You come from the United States.
