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1.47:_Prepositions_avec_places_geographiques
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<p>To tell people in which <span style="color:#800080;">continent</span>, <span style="color:#800080;">country, state</span>, or <span style="color:#800080;">city</span> you live, you need to know the names in French and which preposition you put before them. In English, the only thing you have to know is ‘<strong>in’</strong>:</p> <p style="padding-left: 40px">▫︎ I live <strong>in</strong> <span style="color:#800080;">America</span>. I live <strong>in</strong> <span style="color:#800080;">the United States</span>. I live <strong>in</strong> <span style="color:#800080;">California</span>. I live <strong>in</strong> <span style="color:#800080;">San Diego</span>.</p> <p>But in French, that préposition will vary.</p> <p style="padding-left: 40px"><span style="color:#000080;">☞ J’habite <strong>en</strong> Amérique. J’habite <strong>aux</strong> États-Unis. J’habite <strong>en</strong> Californie. J’habite <b>à </b>San Diego.</span></p> <p style="padding-left: 40px"><span style="color:#808080;"><em>I live in America. I live in the United States. I live in California. I live in San Diego.</em></span></p> <span id="How_do_you_choose_between_en.2C_au.2C_aux_and_.C3.A0.3F"></span><span id="How_do_you_choose_between_en.2C_au.2C_aux_and_.C3.A0.3F"></span><h5><strong>How do you choose between <span class="mt-color-ff0000">en, au</span>, <span class="mt-color-ff0000">aux</span> and <span class="mt-color-ff0000">à</span>?</strong></h5> <ul> <li><strong>The preposition </strong> <span class="mt-color-ff0000"><strong>à</strong></span></li> </ul> <p>Every time you mention <strong>a city</strong>, the preposition <strong>à </strong>precedes the city name.</p> <p style="padding-left: 40px"><span style="color:#000080;">☞ J’habite <strong>à</strong> Rome. </span></p> <ul> <li><strong>The preposition <span class="mt-color-ff0000">en</span></strong></li> </ul> <p style="padding-left: 40px">Countries that end in ‘<strong>e</strong>’ and the one that starts with a vowel will use the préposition <strong>en</strong>.</p> <p style="padding-left: 40px"><em><span style="color:#000080;">☞ </span></em><span style="color:#000080;">Je vais <strong>en</strong> Franc<strong>e</strong> et <strong>en</strong> <strong>A</strong>ustralie.</span></p> <ul> <li><strong>The preposition</strong> <span class="mt-color-ff0000"><strong>aux</strong></span></li> </ul> <p style="padding-left: 40px">Countries that end in ‘<strong>s</strong>’.</p> <p style="padding-left: 40px"><em><span style="color:#000080;">☞ </span></em><span style="color:#003366;">J’habite <strong>aux</strong> États-Unis. </span></p> <ul> <li><strong>The preposition </strong><span class="mt-color-ff0000"><strong>au</strong></span></li> </ul> <p style="padding-left: 40px">All other countries that do not end in ‘<strong>e</strong>’ or ‘<strong>s</strong>’ use <strong>au.</strong></p> <p style="padding-left: 40px"><span style="color:#000080;">☞ Je voyage <strong>au</strong> Brésil, <strong>au</strong> Danemark et <strong>au</strong> Japon. </span></p> <p><img title="" alt="Chart explaining French prepositions used with geographic locations, including examples for cities and countries." loading="lazy" class="internal" src="https://human.libretexts.org/@api/deki/files/121902/file-62d4ab0964f49.png?revision=1" /></p> <p><strong>Exception </strong></p> <p>Mexico is <span style="color:#000080;">Mexique </span>in French. You need to say<span style="color:#000080;"><strong>au</strong></span><span style="color:#000080;"> Mexique. <span>The same with</span> Cambodge, Mozambique</span> and <span style="color:#000080;">Zimbabwe. </span></p> <div class="h5p-element-outer h5p-image-outer-element"> <div class="h5p-element-inner h5p-image">Practice</div> <iframe allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen" frameborder="0" height="564" src="https://pressbooks.pub/introductiontofrench1/wp-admin/admin-ajax.php?action=h5p_embed&id=97" title="Prepositions geographiques" width="958"></iframe><script src="https://pressbooks.pub/app/plugins/h5p/h5p-php-library/js/h5p-resizer.js" charset="UTF-8"></script> <p><a href="https://www.france-pub.com/french-countries.php" target="_blank" rel="external noopener nofollow" class="link-https">Liste des pays et des continents</a></p> </div>
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