French › Level three lessons › Vacations · Les vacances

À is used to say in, at, or to:

Je vais à Paris.^{I'm going to Paris.}

De is used to say from:

Je reviens de Paris.^{I return from Paris.}

En is used to say in, at, or to for feminine geographical areas except cities:

Je vais en France.^{I go to France.}

De is used to say from for feminine geographical areas:

Je reviens de France.^{I return from France.}

Je reviens d'Espagne.^{I return from Spain.}

Dans le is used to say in, at, or to for masculine regions, provinces, and states:

Je vais dans le Limousin.^{I'm going to Limousin.}

Au is used to say in, at, or to for masculine countries beginning with a consonant:

Je vais au Portugal.^{I'm going to Portugal.}

En is used to say in, at, or to for masculine countries beginning with a vowel:

Je vais en Israël.^{I'm going to Israel.}

Du is used to say from for masculine geographical areas beginning with a consonant:

Je reviens du Limousin.^{I return from Limousin.}

Je reviens du Portugal.^{I return from Portugal.}

D' is used to say from for masculine countries beginning with a vowel:

Je reviens d'Israël.^{I return from Israel.}

Aux is used to say in, at, or to if a plural article is part of the name of a country:

Je vais aux États-Unis.^{I'm going to the United States.}

Des is used to say from if a plural article is part of the name of a country:

Je reviens des États-Unis.^{I return from the United States.}

Nationalities are not capitalized as often in French as they are in English. If you are referring to a person, as in an Arab person or a Chinese person, the French equivalent is un Arabe or un Chinois. However, if you are referring to the Arabic language or Chinese language, the French would not capitalize: l'arabe, le chinois. If the nationality is used as an adjective, it is normally left uncapitalized: un livre chinois, un tapis arabe.