Where are you from?
D'où viens-tu ?
- Ask somebody where they are from
- Say your nationality
- Definite and indefinite articles
Learn how to talk about countries and nationalities in French with basic verbs like "venir", "habiter", and "être". This beginner-friendly lesson introduces essential vocabulary for asking and answering questions about origin and residence, using definite and indefinite articles. Practice through realistic dialogues, verb conjugations, and a short story to enhance your understanding of practical expressions such as "D'où viens-tu ?" and "Je suis français." Perfect for A1 learners developing foundational conversational skills.
Listening & reading materials
Practice vocabulary in context with real materials.
Vocabulary (22) Share Copied!
Exercises Share Copied!
These exercises can be done together during conversation lessons or as homework.
Exercise 1: Reorder sentences
Instruction: Make correct sentences and translate.
Exercise 2: Match a word
Instruction: Match the translations
Exercise 3: Cluster the words
Instruction: Classify these words according to whether they designate a country or a nationality.
Pays
Nationalités
Exercise 4: Translate and use in a sentence
Instruction: Pick a word, translated and use the word in a sentence or dialogue.
1
L'Allemagne
Germany
2
La capitale
The capital
3
Vivre
To live
4
La Suisse
Switzerland
5
La nationalité
Nationality
Exercice 5: Conversation exercise
Instruction:
- Describe the nationality of each person. (Describe the nationality of each person.)
- Say where do they currently live. (Say where do they currently live.)
- Tell where you live. (Tell where you live.)
Teaching guidelines +/- 10 minutes
Example phrases:
|
Eero est de France. Eero is from France. |
|
Ola vient de Pologne et elle vit à Londres. Ola comes from Poland and she lives in London. |
|
Maria est espagnole. Maria is Spanish. |
|
Jan est originaire des Pays-Bas. Jan is from the Netherlands. |
|
D'où viens-tu ? Where are you from? |
|
Où habites-tu ? Where do you live? |
| ... |
Exercise 6: Dialogue Cards
Instruction: Select a situation and practice the conversation with your teacher or fellow students.
Exercise 7: Multiple Choice
Instruction: Choose the correct solution
1. D'où _____-tu ?
(Where _____ you come from?)2. Je _____ à Paris depuis trois ans.
(I _____ in Paris for three years.)3. Tu _____ en France, n'est-ce pas ?
(You _____ in France, don't you?)4. Nous _____ près de la capitale.
(We _____ near the capital.)Exercise 8: Where do you come from?
Instruction:
Verb Tables
Vivre - To live
Présent
- Je vis
- Tu vis
- Il/Elle vit
- Nous vivons
- Vous vivez
- Ils/Elles vivent
Venir - To come
Présent
- Je viens
- Tu viens
- Il/Elle vient
- Nous venons
- Vous venez
- Ils/Elles viennent
Être - To be
Présent
- Je suis
- Tu es
- Il/Elle est
- Nous sommes
- Vous êtes
- Ils/Elles sont
Habiter - To live
Présent
- J'habite
- Tu habites
- Il/Elle habite
- Nous habitons
- Vous habitez
- Ils/Elles habitent
Exercise 9: Les articles définis et indéfinis
Instruction: Fill in the correct word.
Grammar: Definite and indefinite articles
Show translation Show answersles, le, des, la, une, un, l'
Grammar Share Copied!
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Verb conjugation tables for this lesson Share Copied!
Vivre to live Share Copied!
present
| French | English |
|---|---|
| (je/j') je vis | I live |
| tu vis | You live |
| il/elle/on vit | He/she/one lives |
| nous vivons | we live |
| vous vivez | You live |
| ils/elles vivent | They live |
Habiter to live Share Copied!
present
| French | English |
|---|---|
| (je/j') j'habite | I live |
| tu habites | You live |
| il/elle/on habite | he/she/one lives |
| nous habitons | we live |
| vous habitez | You live |
| ils/elles habitent | They live |
Naître to be born Share Copied!
present
| French | English |
|---|---|
| (je/j') je nais | I am born |
| tu nais | You are born |
| il/elle/on naît | He/she/one is born |
| nous naissons | we are born |
| vous naissez | You are born |
| ils/elles naissent | They are born |
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Introduction to Countries and Nationalities in French
This lesson, titled "Where are you from?", introduces French learners at the A1 level to essential vocabulary and grammar focused on talking about countries and nationalities. You will learn how to ask and answer questions about origins, residences, and nationalities, using common expressions such as D'où viens-tu ? (Where are you from?), Je suis français. (I am French), and J'habite en France. (I live in France).
Key Vocabulary: Countries and Nationalities
The lesson contains clusters of words categorized into countries like la France (France), l'Allemagne (Germany), and l'Italie (Italy) and corresponding nationalities such as français (French), allemand (German), and italien (Italian). This classification helps learners actively distinguish between place names and people.
Practice with Articles
You will also practice articles, both definite (la, le, les) and indefinite (un, une), which are used with countries and nationalities. For example, saying Je viens d'une petite ville en Italie. (I come from a small town in Italy) or Je suis une habitante de Belgique. (I am a female resident of Belgium).
Dialogues for Real-Life Situations
The lesson includes three practical dialogues to simulate everyday conversations: during a coffee break, meeting a new colleague, and in a language class. These dialogues provide authentic phrases such as Bonjour ! D'où venez-vous ? and responses like Je viens de Suisse. Et vous ?
Grammar and Verb Conjugation
Crucial verbs introduced and conjugated in the present tense include venir (to come), habiter (to live), être (to be), and vivre (to live). Exercises help you fill in the blanks and choose correct verb forms, reinforcing your grammar skills.
Story-Based Learning
A short story titled D'où viens-tu ? provides context to practice reading and comprehension, with verbs marked and gaps to complete, enhancing your ability to recognize and use the target vocabulary and verbs in sentences.
Relevant Differences and Useful Expressions
In French, definite articles are often used with country names (e.g., la France, l'Italie) unlike in English where articles are usually omitted for country names. Asking someone's origin is typically done with D'où viens-tu ? or D'où venez-vous ?. Nationalities agree in gender and number, unlike English where they remain unchanged. Useful phrases include Je suis (I am), Tu es (You are), and J'habite en... (I live in...). This lesson helps you build confidence in expressing your background and understanding others in French-speaking contexts.
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