Lessons

A1.3 - Where are you from?

Je viens de / de la / d' / du / des...

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We use venir de to indicate where someone is from; the form depends on the gender, the number, and the first letter of the country name.

What you are really choosing: de + the country’s article

Venir de = “to come from”.

The form changes because most country names in French have an article:

  • le (masculine), la (feminine), l’ (before a vowel), les (plural)

Your job: find the article of the country, then combine it with de.

Masculine de + le → du
Je viens du Portugal.
Feminine de (very common) / de la (less common)
Je viens de Belgique. / Je viens de la Suisse.
Vowel / silent h d’ / de l’
Je viens d’Italie. / Je viens de l’Iran.
Plural de + les → des
Je viens des Pays-Bas.

Fast decision guide (2 steps)

  1. Step 1: Look at the country name

    • Starts with a vowel (A, E, I, O, U, Y) or a silent h → you will use d’ or de l’.
    • Plural country name → you will use des.
    • Otherwise → decide if it is masculine or feminine.

  2. Step 2: Apply the matching form

    • Masculine → du
    • Feminine → usually de (sometimes de la)
    • Vowel / silent h → d’ or de l’
    • Plural → des

The key rule many learners miss: de le is impossible

  • de + le must contract to du.
  • So you say: Je viens du Canada.
  • You never say: Je viens de le Canada.

de vs de la: what should you do as an A1 learner?

  • With many feminine countries, everyday French uses de (especially in simple introductions):
    Je viens de France. / Je viens de Belgique.
  • de la also exists with some feminine names and is common with regions/places too:
    Je viens de la Suisse. / Je viens de la République tchèque.

  • Practical tip: If you are unsure and the country is feminine, de is usually safe at A1.

Vowels: d’ or de l’ (same idea, choose the smooth sound)

  • Before a vowel, French avoids two vowels in a row:
Most common d’ + country
Je viens d’Italie. / Je viens d’Iran.
Also correct de l’ + country
Je viens de l’Italie. / Je viens de l’Iran.

In this course, follow the form shown in the examples for consistency.

Self-check: can you justify your choice in 5 seconds?

  • du → “This country is masculine: le …”
  • de / de la → “This country is feminine: la …”
  • d’ / de l’ → “It starts with a vowel (or silent h).”
  • des → “It is plural: les …”

If you can say the reason, your answer is almost always correct.

Mini model sentences you can reuse in conversation

  • Je viens du Portugal. (masculine)
  • Je viens de Belgique. (feminine)
  • Je viens d’Italie. (vowel)
  • Je viens des Pays-Bas. (plural)
  1. Masculine country + consonant: de + le = du.
  2. Feminine country + consonant: de or de la.
  3. Country beginning with a vowel: d’ or de l’.
  4. Plural country: de + les = des.
Masculin (Masculine)Du
Je viens du Portugal. (I am from Portugal.)
Féminin (Feminine)De / De la
Je viens de / de la Belgique. (I am from Belgium.)
Première lettre : voyelle (First letter: vowel)D’ / De l'
Je viens d’ / de l'Italie. (I am from Italy.)
Pluriel (Plural)Des
Je viens des Pays-Bas. (I am from the Netherlands.)

Exceptions!

  1. De le does not exist.

Exercise 1: Multiple choice

Instruction: Choose the correct answer

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Free FR

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FR + EN

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1. Bonjour, je suis Maria. Je viens ___ Portugal. Bonjour, je suis Maria. Je viens du Portugal.

Hello, I am Maria. I come ___ Portugal.

2. Je m'appelle Sophie, je viens ___ Belgique. Je m'appelle Sophie, je viens de Belgique.

My name is Sophie, I come ___ Belgium.

3. Et toi, tu viens ___ Italie ou de France ? Et toi, tu viens d'Italie ou de France ?

And you, do you come ___ Italy or from France?

4. En réunion, il se présente : « Je viens ___ États-Unis. » En réunion, il se présente : « Je viens des États-Unis. »

In a meeting, he introduces himself: « I come ___ the United States. »

Exercise 2: Rewrite the phrases

Instruction: Rewrite the sentence by replacing the country in parentheses and using the correct form of “venir de” (du, de, de la, d’, des).

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Show/Hide translation
  1. Je viens du Canada. (Portugal)
    ⇒ ____________________________________________________________________________________________________ Example
    Je viens du Portugal.
    (I come from Portugal.)
  2. Je viens du Portugal. (Belgique)
    ⇒ ____________________________________________________________________________________________________ Example
    Je viens de Belgique.
    (I come from Belgium.)
  3. Je viens de la Belgique. (France)
    ⇒ ____________________________________________________________________________________________________ Example
    Je viens de France.
    (I come from France.)
  4. Je viens du Maroc. (Italie)
    ⇒ ____________________________________________________________________________________________________ Example
    Je viens d’Italie.
    (I come from Italy.)
  5. Je viens de la France. (Iran)
    ⇒ ____________________________________________________________________________________________________ Example
    Je viens d’Iran.
    (I come from Iran.)
  6. Je viens du Japon. (Pays-Bas)
    ⇒ ____________________________________________________________________________________________________ Example
    Je viens des Pays-Bas.
    (I come from the Netherlands.)
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Learn French for beginners - A practical A1 course with audio

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Alessia Calcagni

Languages for communication in international enterprises and organizations

Università degli Studi di Modena e Reggio Emilia

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Last Updated:

Friday, 25/09/2026 21:49