A1.3: Where are you from?

D'où viens-tu ?

Learn to talk about your origin and nationality in French using essential vocabulary like « pays » (country), « nationalité » (nationality), and phrases such as « D'où viens-tu ? » and « Je suis français ». This lesson covers definite and indefinite articles through practical dialogues and examples.

Listening & reading materials

Practice vocabulary in context with real materials.

A1.3.1 Dialogue

Pays et nationalités

Countries and nationalities


Vocabulary (22)

 Je suis français: I am French (French)

Je suis français

Show

I am french Show

 Le pays: The country (French)

Le pays

Show

The country Show

 Un Espagnol: A Spaniard (French)

Un Espagnol

Show

A spaniard Show

 Un Anglais: An Englishman (French)

Un Anglais

Show

An englishman Show

 Un Allemand: A German (French)

Un Allemand

Show

A german Show

 Un habitant: An inhabitant (French)

Un habitant

Show

An inhabitant Show

 D'où viens-tu ? : Where are you from? (French)

D'où viens-tu ?

Show

Where are you from? Show

 La capitale : The capital (French)

La capitale

Show

The capital Show

 La France : France (French)

La France

Show

France Show

 L'Espagne : Spain (French)

L'Espagne

Show

Spain Show

 L'Angleterre: England (French)

L'Angleterre

Show

England Show

 L'Italie: Italy (French)

L'Italie

Show

Italy Show

 L'Allemagne: Germany (French)

L'Allemagne

Show

Germany Show

 La nationalité: Nationality (French)

La nationalité

Show

Nationality Show

 Vivre (to live) - Verb conjugation and exercises

Vivre

Show

To live Show

 Habiter (to live) - Verb conjugation and exercises

Habiter

Show

To live Show

 J’habite...: I live... (French)

J’habite...

Show

I live... Show

 La nationalité: Nationality (French)

La nationalité

Show

Nationality Show

 Le Portugal: Portugal (French)

Le Portugal

Show

Portugal Show

 La Belgique: Belgium (French)

La Belgique

Show

Belgium Show

 Les Pays-Bas: the Netherlands (French)

Les Pays-Bas

Show

The netherlands Show

 La Suisse: Switzerland (French)

La Suisse

Show

Switzerland Show

Exercises

These exercises can be done together during conversation lessons or as homework.

Exercise 1: Reorder sentences

Instruction: Make correct sentences and translate.

Show answers
1.
? | viens-tu | D'où
D'où viens-tu ?
(Where do you come from?)
2.
français. | Je | suis
Je suis français.
(I am French.)
3.
en | France. | J'habite
J'habite en France.
(I live in France.)
4.
? | Tu | allemand | es
Tu es allemand ?
(Are you German?)
5.
capitale | de | Rome. | est | La | l'Italie
La capitale de l'Italie est Rome.
(The capital of Italy is Rome.)
6.
habitante | suis | de | Je | Belgique. | une
Je suis une habitante de Belgique.
(I am an inhabitant of Belgium.)

Exercise 2: Match a word

Instruction: Match the translations

D'où viens-tu ? Je viens de France. (Where do you come from? I come from France.)
Je suis Allemand et j'habite à Berlin. (I am German and I live in Berlin.)
La capitale de l'Italie est Rome. (The capital of Italy is Rome.)
Tu habites dans un pays très intéressant. (You live in a very interesting country.)

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:

  1. Describe the nationality of each person. (Describe the nationality of each person.)
  2. Say where do they currently live. (Say where do they currently live.)
  3. 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:

Marie (Habiter - Présent) à Paris. Elle (Vivre - Présent) dans le quartier Latin. Un jour, elle rencontre un nouvel ami qui lui demande : « D'où (Venir - Présent) -tu ? » Marie répond : « Je (Être - Présent) française, mais je (Être - Présent) née en Italie. » Son ami lui dit qu'il (Vivre - Présent) aussi en France, mais qu'il est allemand. Ensuite, Marie lui demande où il (Habiter - Présent) exactement. Il répond qu'il (Habiter - Présent) à Lyon, la troisième ville de France.


Marie lives in Paris. She lives in the Latin Quarter. One day, she meets a new friend who asks her: "Where do you come from?" Marie replies: "I am French, but I was born in Italy." Her friend tells her that he also lives in France, but he is German. Then, Marie asks him exactly where he lives . He replies that he lives in Lyon, the third city of France.

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 answers

les, le, des, la, une, un, l'

1. Indéfini :
C'est ... habitant d'Angleterre.
(He is a resident of England.)
2. Indéfini :
Tu vis avec ... Français.
(You live with French people.)
3. Défini :
Il veut présenter ... Angleterre.
(He wants to present England.)
4. Défini :
Je suis dans ... capitale.
(I am in the capital.)
5. Défini :
Vous êtes dans ... pays.
(You are in the country.)
6. Indéfini :
J'habite avec ... Espagnol.
(I live with a Spaniard.)
7. Indéfini :
J'habite dans ... capitale d'Europe.
(I live in a capital city in Europe.)
8. Défini :
Nous habitons dans ... pays européens.
(We live in European countries.)

Grammar

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A1.3.2 Grammaire

Les articles définis et indéfinis

Definite and indefinite articles


Verb conjugation tables for this lesson

Vivre to live

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

Exercises and examples phrases

Habiter to live

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

Exercises and examples phrases

Naître to be born

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

Exercises and examples phrases

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Lesson Overview: Asking and Answering About Origins and Nationalities

This lesson focuses on how to talk about where you come from, your nationality, and related details in French. It is designed for beginners (A1 level) and introduces essential vocabulary, expressions, and grammar to discuss countries and nationalities, along with the use of definite and indefinite articles.

Key Vocabulary: Countries and Nationalities

You will learn important words to identify and talk about countries and nationalities such as:

  • Countries: l'Allemagne, l'Angleterre, l'Espagne, l'Italie, la France
  • Nationalities: un Allemand, un Anglais, un Espagnol, français

Essential Expressions for Origin and Nationality

The lesson includes common phrases to ask and answer about someone's origin, for example:

  • D'où viens-tu ? (Where do you come from?)
  • Je viens de France. (I come from France.)
  • Je suis français. (I am French.)
  • Tu es allemand ? (Are you German?)

Grammar Highlights: Definite and Indefinite Articles

The course explains the use of definite articles (le, la, l', les) and indefinite articles (un, une) with countries and nationalities to classify and describe origin accurately. For example:

  • Je suis une habitante de Belgique. (I am a female inhabitant of Belgium.)
  • La capitale de l'Italie est Rome. (The capital of Italy is Rome.)

Practice Dialogues

Engage with practical dialogues for everyday situations such as meeting someone at a coffee break, welcoming colleagues at work, or language class introductions. These conversations help you practice asking about and stating nationality and country of origin naturally.

Useful Phrases to Memorize

  • Je viens de... (I come from...)
  • Je suis (nationality). (I am (nationality).)
  • D'où venez-vous ? (Where do you come from? - formal)
  • Tu habites en/au/aux ... (You live in ...)

Verb Conjugations in Present Tense

The lesson covers important verbs for talking about origin and residence, including venir (to come), être (to be), vivre (to live), and habiter (to live, inhabit). You'll learn their present tense forms:

  • Je viens, tu viens, il vient, nous venons, vous venez, ils viennent
  • Je suis, tu es, il est, nous sommes, vous êtes, ils sont
  • Je vis, tu vis, il vit, nous vivons, vous vivez, ils vivent
  • J'habite, tu habites, il habite, nous habitons, vous habitez, ils habitent

Cultural and Language Notes: English vs. French

Unlike English, French often requires definite articles before country names (e.g., la France, l'Allemagne) and uses gendered articles based on the country's gender. Additionally, nationalities in French agree in gender and number with the person they describe, for example, français (male), française (female). English nationalities do not change form with gender.

When asking someone's origin, French uses D'où viens-tu ? (informal) or D'où venez-vous ? (formal), whereas English more simply says "Where are you from?"

Summary

This lesson equips you with the vocabulary, expressions, and grammar needed to confidently ask about and express your origin and nationality in French. Practicing these fundamentals will help you navigate social introductions and conversations about identity and place.

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