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.
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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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.