gender of countries in french

Will it be le Cote d’Ivoire or la Cote d’Ivoire? 4. Learn how your comment data is processed. There are just a few exceptions: The preposition depends on the gender of the country you’re trying to talk about. Occasionally, I have seen the use of “dans” especially with states in the USA (for example, “dans le Texas”). I will go to Marseilles. Je vais ajouter cette information au article. Your tremendous support helps FrenchCrazy provide access to French learners across the globe. Each of their families comes from a different region of Africa, so they have a hard time agreeing on the itinerary. Countries, nationalities and adjectives. French is the co-offical language of Belgium, along with German and Dutch. To me, it sounds masculine, and the Wiktionary agrees with me. le Belize (Belize) I’m not sure Madagascar is feminine. I’m going up to New York for the holidays. Go to The Language Nook, the blog in and about English and French, When learning French, you usually learn the name of a number of, If you are reading this blog post, you have probably already learnt the names of a few countries. 3) When referring to a feminine country use en The only tricky part is making sure you use the correct prepositions, which change with the gender of the country or continent you're discussing. I come from France. Je serais bien en peine d’expliquer ça mieux. All Rights Reserved. 10 French Filmmakers You Should Know More About, 6 Fantastic French Animated Movies You Should Watch, Things Americans Won't Understand in France. French is the only official language for 13 of these countries and the co-official language in 16 countries. le Mexique (Mexico) Places ending in “S” ar… When a French noun describes a live being, its gender (masculine or feminine) often reflects the gender of the being in question. When evoking the names of countries in French, you will usually use a definite French masculine, feminine or plural article (le / la / les) to go with it. This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. But it’s long, and we’re lazy… So most of the time, the French will only say “Les États-Unis”, just like you’d say “The United States” in English. Aux États-Unis, il y a beaucoup de problèmes. In the United States, there are many problems. Luckily there is straightforward rule to determining the genders in French with minimal exceptions: Almost every country ending in an Remember these 6 countries: Some regions or countries take their name after a common noun. Makes sense? Il est en Iran. Knowing the gender of each geographical name is the first step in determining which preposition to use. Is this ever correct? Learning the French names for countries is relatively easy if you are already … Places ending in a consonant = masculine = use “au”Je vais au Japon. I am not sure at all why the Wiktionary says it is masculine. Besides the last tidbit with islands, I hope this short article cleared up any confusion surrounding the genders of French countries or the ambiguity surrounding when to use certain prepositions. Your email address will not be published. What prepositions should I use when talking about different countries or cities in French? If you are reading this blog post, you have probably already learnt the names of a few countries. We are in New Orleans. You can also subscribe without commenting. I come from the United States. Gender neutrality in English became a growing area of interest among academics during Second Wave Feminism, when the work of structuralist linguist Ferdinand de Saussure and his theories on semiotics became better known in academic circles. In French you spell Brazil the same as in English. Some regions or countries take their name after a, le Royaume Uni, is masculine because the noun royaume (kingdom) is, For example, Madagascar is not used with an article but is feminine even if it does not end in, As I said, Madagascar is not used with an article. The most populous country where French is the official language is the Democratic Republic of the Congo in Africa, followed by France and Canada. African countries in French But now, you are wondering, how can you know which countries are feminine and which are masculine? Nous sommes à la Nouvelle Orleans. For example in a description you will see ”Madagascar est située au large du continent africain”. However, when we talk about Madagascar in French, we don’t use an article in front of its name. J’irai à Marseilles. If a Hunga… Here are some examples of other, Bahreïn, Chypre, Cuba, Haïti, Israël, Malte, Monaco, Sainte-Lucie, Saint-Marin, Singapour, Sri Lanka, These are named after the common noun –état (state), pays (country), île (island, isle)– and the. Good. From the quiz author Is that country (or continent) MASCULINE or FEMININE? But determining gender isn’t always that logical, especially […] yolainebodin.com/the-language-nook/french/gender-of-countries-in-french 6) When referring to a country that is plural, use aux In this sentence située is in the feminine form. There are few female high officers, 2.9% (1,202 women), with a dozen female colonels as of 2010 and the first female general appointed in October 2018. Merci pour votre commentaire ! Argentina is feminine because it is actually an adjective of republic, which is feminine (“República Argentina”). Should it not be Brésil? © John Elkhoury, 2011 – 2020. Here are the main rules: - Most places ending in 'e' are feminine. The rules related to islands are special cases because sometimes we treat them as cities and other times we consider them as countries. Hello Kiran, in French it is la Côte d’Ivoire, because the noun “côte” is feminine. They want to go to Africa next winter. Showing interest in a conversation: short questions. Sometimes, however, the a city or country is referred to as "she", especially in poetic contexts. There you are! Now that you know if the name of a country is masculine or feminine, make sure you know what preposition to use in front of it. 2. How do you talk about countries and their people in French? Using the names of countries around the world is fairly easy if you have memorized them. These are named after the common noun –état (state), pays (country), île (island, isle)– and the countries in question are a set of various states, lands or islands, hence the use of the plural. Since this is quite a long article, I’ll start with a short recap of the French prepositions of place rules.Here are the general rules to say your are in a place, or going to a place in French. – tautophile May 28 '18 at 4:06 I found this helpful , it was well explained. But as a French native, and a French teacher I can tell you… NO, grammatical gender in French is NOT crucial. It is worthy to note that all the continents in French are feminine in gender (except for l'Antarctique, which is masculine) and use the preposition en for ''in'' or ''to.'' We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. To learn the gender of a country, look up the French name on our master list of all countries in the world. Vous allez en Chine demain. Ships also are sometimes referred to as "she", even if they're named after men, like the ore carrier Edmund Fitzgerald in the famous song (1975) by Gordon Lightfoot. Places ending in any other vowel = masculine = use “au”Je vais au Canada, je suis au Congo. 1. Thank you. Can you name the gender of these nouns? En, dans = In, to with regions, states, counties (prepositions) We know that regions, states or counties have genders in French, see Continents, countries, regions & states are masculine, feminine or plural (gender). French spelling: le plus, le moins de choses possible or possibles? Here are some examples of other countries whose name is used without an article: Les États-Unis d’Amérique, les Seychelles, les Philippines, les îles Féroé, les Pays-Bas…. All For example, we also say La Côte d’Azur, la côte méditerranéenne etc. I love people in France. This information about geographical locations and the correct use of prepositions has been very helpful to me. “Les États-Unis d’Amérique” is the most precise translation used for ‘United States of America’. When you want to use a location with the prepositions to or in, then follow the rules listed below. We eat tacos in Mexico :). Your email address will not be published. Thank you for your comment Erwan. FrenchCrazy Media LLC. le Belize, le Cambodge, le Mexique, le Mozambique, le Suriname, le Zimbabwe. However, they do not…. However, they are often dropped, depending on the context and the sentences in which they are used. But now, you are wondering, how can you know, which countries are feminine and which are masculine, la France, l’Angleterre, la Chine, l’Argentine, l’Algérie, la Colombie, la Mauritanie, l’Inde, le Nigéria, le Brésil, le Canada, le Japon, le Danemark, le Maroc, le Liban, le Pakistan, le Pérou, Of course, since we are talking about the French language, there are a few. Knowing what gender a country or a place is not easy, and not consistent. But before you do, here’s how to easily know the gender of French words. Any country that ends in any vowel other than silent “e” or consonant is masculine. How to know the gender of French nouns with 80% accuracy No nee to purchase a magic mirror to guess the gender of French words. You’re going to China tomorrow. It will be easier for you to understand them if you know the names of the countries they are coming from. Petit ajout idiomatique: beaucoup de gens disent « je vais SUR Paris ». I clairified this point with my French Linguistics professor. If you continue to use this site we will assume that you are happy with it. English: The gender of countries (regions) in the French language; countries (regions) with masculine names are coloured green and countries (regions) with feminine names are purple. le Cambodge (Cambodia). Plural is more important! That's the bad news. Required fields are marked *. You should also talk about masculine countries. l’Algérie (Algeria) If your goal is only to make yourself understood, then you don’t need to be perfectly perfect with masculine and feminine genders, grammatically speaking of course. Hello Messan and thank you for your comment. Ukraine shows better results in military gender equality than countries like Norway (7%) or United Kingdom (9%). 5) When referring to a masculine country which starts with a consonant, use au l’Allemagne (Germany) Merci. As a general rule, countries that end in -e are feminine: Of course, since we are talking about the French language, there are a few exceptions. For example: The word cheval (horse) is masculine, whereas jument (mare) is feminine, because they both reflect the gender of the animal. Mais… parfois… vous me faites réfléchir sur ma langue − comme ici, sur les noms de pays. Luckily there is straightforward rule to determining the genders in French with minimal exceptions: Almost every country ending in an “e” is a feminine country, la France (France) When learning French, you usually learn the name of a number of countries fairly early and then build up on your first list of countries as time goes on. 1) When referring to a city mainly use à Your email address will not be published. Gender in French. Three French friends are discussing their next trip. If you’re ever uncertain about an island’s gender then be proactive now and research it online. 4) When referring to a masculine country which starts with a vowel, use en Note that while we always use to in English for these places, in French we use different prepositions for one or the other. You can comment below without any special subscription required; I’d love to hear your comments. (My parents are native fr… feminine. I love your site, thank you so much! The good news is that French words can have only two genders : masculine or feminine. Then put the -la or -l' (if the name of the country begins with a vowel). la Guyane (Guiana) Here is a list of the five African regions and some vocabulary that Djamila, Mamadou and Hando will use in their discussion. 2) When referring to a city with an article use à + article Learn more about FrenchCrazy on our about page. Places ending in “E” = feminine = use “en”Je suis en France. We’re going to move to the vicinity of Paris. I’m French. la Chine (China) You'll notice that nearly all countries that end in e are feminine, and the rest are masculine. Español: Género de los nombres de los países en francés: en verde masculinos, en morado femeninos. 50 State Names in French . This is an online quiz called Gender of countries in French (2) There is a printable worksheet available for download here so you can take the quiz with pen and paper. How are the countries pronounced? by John Elkhoury | Learning French | 14 comments. Like all French nouns, geographical names like countries, states, and provinces have a gender. This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Je viens des États-Unis. We have a bad and a good news for you : as opposed to English, French words have a gender. Note that in French, countries, continents, regions and states are either feminine, masculine or plural. What’s the difference between éminent and imminent? (I live in France) Tu vas en Chine. Replies to my comments In that case, you will have to use the article that matches the gender of the noun: Careful though, here is the tricky part: the common noun is sometimes implied and not part of the name itself: For example, Madagascar is not used with an article but is feminine even if it does not end in -e, but that’s because it is an island –une île– and what is really meant even if not uttered is l’île de Madagascar. Larousse lists it as feminine, like other dictionaries such as Termium’s BtB to give but one other example. le Zimbabwe (Zimbabwe) If the distinction between masculine and feminine seems perfectly normal to French speakers (and perfectly bizarre to English speakers), we would do well to remember that every language has its own peculiar approach to gender. Même si un interlocuteur natif (comme vous) ne trouve pas ces articles trop intéressants, vous pouvez pratiquer votre anglais ici ;), En effet, je n’ai entendu personne dire “je vais sur Montcuq” (Désole je devais la faire :D), Your email address will not be published. since it is an island (une île), we use the feminine to talk about this country. In a few colloquial instances you can use the preposition sur when talking about a city in a larger context or when using the city as a point of reference while remaining uncertain about exactly where you’ll be around the city. Get the best of Sporcle when you Go Orange.This ad-free experience offers more features, more stats, and more fun while also helping to support Sporcle. When you click on outbound links and purchase or sign up for services, we may receive a small commission at no additional cost to you. If the name of a country ends with the letter -e, it is feminine. Le liberia, le Mali, le Togo, le Vanuatu, le Niger, le Japon, etc. You now know what gender are countries of the world in French. How to choose between quoique and quoi que, Quote about learning another language by Flora Lewis. Notify me of followup comments via e-mail. We know that countries and continents have genders in French [see Continents, countries, regions & states are masculine, feminine or plural (gender)] Note that while we always use in and to in English for cities and countries, in French we use different prepositions for one or the other. In linguistics, grammatical gender is a specific form of noun class system in which the division of noun classes forms an agreement system with another aspect of the language, such as adjectives, articles, pronouns, or verbs. Besides, it follows the rule I explained in this blog post, i.e. la Belgique (Belgium) You’ll discover how genders influence these elements in the last section of this article. Required fields are marked *. Disclaimer: FrenchCrazy Media LLC is an affiliate with some of the products and companies displayed on this website. As I said, Madagascar is not used with an article. Thanks again. He’s in Iran. Je vais monter sur New York pendant des vacances. Let’s make sure there is no confusion, French spelling can be tricky, and not only for people learning the language. That’s why even some “a” countries are masculine: their name was recently adopted in French. Congratulations! by Yolaine Bodin | 9 Jun 2018 | French Language. Don't subscribe Some countries of Nord and South America are spelled the same way in both languages such as Bahamas, Belize, Canada, Costa Rica, Cuba, Guatemala, Guyana, Honduras, Nicaragua, Panama, Paraguay, Suriname, Uruguay and Venezuela, and for Haiti the only difference is that in French it has the trema sing (ï). This is an online quiz called The gender of countries in French There is a printable worksheet available for download here so you can take the quiz with pen and paper. Many French textbooks reiterate this point. This is an easy vocabulary lesson because the French names are very similar to what you are used to saying in English. African countries being often relatively young (20th century) they are, by consequence, masculine. The preposition depends on the gender of the country you’re trying to talk about. However, if we need to use an adjective to describe Madagascar, because French adjectives must agree with the noun, we need to put the feminine form of the adjective. This is a simple sentence, some part of which is often used when meeting people in international contexts, but which in French can sometimes seem complicated to English speakers because of the grammar rules regarding prepositions (in, to, from) and the confusion about how countries can be either masculine or feminine and some plural. eXionnaire disagrees with me (though I have never heard of this website before and don’t know how trustworthy it is). , The French words –adjectives to be more specific– éminent and imminent look and sound similar, yet they have completely different meanings. Sometimes it doesn’t exist at all, as with the Finno-Ugric languages: these do not distinguish between masculine and feminine, but rather between animate and inanimate, as do Slavic languages. Cities and countries don't have gender in English. Use en If the country (state or region) is feminine, like la France, la Chine, l’Algérie, la Colombie, la Normandie, la Louisiane, la Ligure or if the country is masculine but starts with a vowel, like l’Iran, l’Uruguay : Je vis en France. This is because it is an island, une île, so we keep the same gender to talk about it as the gender used for île, i.e. I don’t know in French, but in Portuguese a lot of times it has to do with the gender of the main noun I guess. This includes all the continents (Europe, Afrique, Amérique, Asie, Océanie, Antarctique). J’aime les gens en France. The difference between quoique in one word and quoi que in two words is something…, Compréhensif and compréhensible are often mixed up because they look and sound similar. Knowing the gender will help you choose the correct definite article and geographic prepositions to use with each state. Islands referred to as cities (like Cuba or Tahiti) take the preposition à and do not contain an article within their original name. Thank you for becoming a member. The United States are masculine because Estados Unidos is masculine. Ça n’est employé que pour des grandes villes, bien moins souvent pour les villes moyennes, et en dessous. I have one little question. le Mozambique (Republic of Mozambique) The list below details all 50 state names in English and French. Learn how your comment data is processed. From the quiz author When discussing where you went, the names of masculine countries are preceded by "au" (à+le) while names of feminine countries are preceded by "en". I hope this is of help Thanks again for your contribution. On mange des tacos au Mexique. However, there are a few exceptions to the rule above which can only be solved through memorization. So we just say “Madagascar”. We also talk extensively about how to live in France and about French culture. Those are the only two sources I have found giving a gender to Madagascar. Djamila: Mes parents sont originaires d'Afrique du Nord, j'aimerais aller visiter cette région. Alexa teaches you some European countries and nationalities in French. Your comments will see ” Madagascar est située au large du continent africain ” country ends with the -e! Like countries, States, there are many problems ( though I never! In military gender equality than countries like Norway ( 7 % ) or United Kingdom 9. State names in English are many problems information about geographical locations and the co-official in... All 50 state names in English for these places, in French you ’ going. Verde masculinos, en morado femeninos will see ” Madagascar est située au large du continent ”... Between quoique and quoi que, Quote about learning another language by Flora Lewis to! World in French is the co-offical language of Belgium, along with German and.... ) When referring to a masculine country which starts with a consonant = =! Note that while we always use to in English extensively about how to live in France and about French.. There is NO confusion, French words can have only two sources I have giving... Le liberia, le Niger, le Mali, le Cambodge, le moins de possible! And not only for people learning the language includes all the continents ( Europe, Afrique,,. Was recently adopted in French: their name after a common noun gender of countries in french. They are often dropped, depending on the context and the rest are masculine their! This article or a place is not crucial NO confusion, French spelling can be tricky, and good... J'Aimerais aller visiter cette région found giving a gender to Madagascar the rest are masculine because Unidos. An adjective of republic, which is feminine ( “ República argentina ” ), When we talk Madagascar! Know what gender a country, look up the French words –adjectives to be specific–. Choose between quoique and quoi que, Quote about learning another language by Lewis! How can you know the names of a country, look up the French words have... Grandes villes, bien moins souvent pour les villes moyennes, et dessous. -L ' ( if the name of the world parents sont originaires d'Afrique du Nord, aller... 6 countries: some regions or countries take their name was recently adopted French... Like Norway ( 7 % ) use the feminine to talk about this country is ),... Notice that nearly all countries that end in any other vowel = masculine = use “ ”. Il est en Iran is masculine has been very helpful to me, it is easy! Place is not crucial que pour des grandes villes, bien moins souvent pour les villes,... More specific– éminent and imminent look and sound similar, yet they have hard... Can comment below without any special subscription required ; I ’ m going up to New York the... Tricky, and provinces have a bad and a good news is that (! End in e are feminine and which are masculine ; only nine are.! As in English and research it online is the masculine gender that is more and more to! English, French spelling: le plus, le Togo, le moins de choses me semblent évidentes ‘ States..., look up the French name on our master list of all countries French! Any special subscription required ; I ’ m going up to New York pendant des vacances ’ d to. Sound similar, yet they have completely different meanings Flora Lewis -e, it is la d. Easily know the gender of the world we talk about countries and in. French names are very similar to what you are happy with it and sound,. Been very helpful to me los países en francés: en verde masculinos, morado... Gender to Madagascar, bien moins souvent pour les villes moyennes, et en dessous située is in the.! European countries and nationalities in French you spell Brazil the same as in English islands are cases... Me faites réfléchir sur ma langue − comme ici, sur les noms de.! Du continent africain ” the letter -e, it is masculine ), we don ’ t know trustworthy. Continents ( Europe, Afrique, Amérique, Asie, Océanie, )! Not easy, and not only for people learning the language Niger, le Mozambique le! It online irai à Marseilles how genders influence these elements in the feminine form give... Consonant is masculine parents are native fr… cities and other times we consider them as countries these elements in United... Giving a gender ( I live in France and about French culture this! Subscription required ; I ’ m going up to New York pendant des vacances put the or! Confusion, French spelling can be tricky, and not consistent ) they are used “ e ” or is! Mamadou and Hando will use in their discussion le Togo, le,... Correct use of prepositions has been very helpful to me site, thank you so much can tell you…,! In a consonant, use en J ’ irai à Marseilles, French. Your comments between éminent and imminent look and sound similar, yet they have a hard time agreeing on gender... Are often dropped, depending on the gender of the countries they are often dropped, on. Feminine country use en Il est en Iran example in a description you will see ” est... Or a place is not crucial tremendous support helps FrenchCrazy provide access to French across. And quoi que, Quote about learning another language by Flora Lewis and other times we consider them countries... We will assume that you are used le Cote d ’ expliquer ça mieux this country est. Have found giving a gender to Madagascar Tu vas en Chine J aime... For you to understand them if you know the gender of each geographical is... Countries all over the world au large du continent africain ”: beaucoup de gens disent je! Is in the last section of this article are often dropped, depending on the context and the language! Most precise translation used for ‘ United States are masculine consequence, masculine look the... To understand them if you know which countries are feminine and they are by. En morado femeninos Madagascar est située au large du continent africain ” to the rule above can... Island ’ s why even some “ a ” countries are masculine: their name was adopted! Ending in “ e ” = feminine = use “ au ” je vais au Canada, je suis,! I said, Madagascar is not used with an article in front of its.... Or in, then follow the rules listed below places, in French you ’ ll discover how influence. Feminine country use en Il est en Iran said, Madagascar is not used with an article, it well! Heard of this website to hear your comments completely different meanings good news for you understand! Parents sont originaires d'Afrique du Nord, j'aimerais aller visiter cette région argentina is feminine the author... “ les États-Unis d ’ Ivoire, because the French words about this country I can tell you…,... We treat them as cities and countries do n't have gender in French will in... D'Afrique du Nord, j'aimerais aller visiter cette région across the globe, States, provinces. Are wondering, how can you know which countries are masculine choose between quoique and quoi que, about... World in French can have only two genders: masculine or feminine via.. A feminine country use en Il est en Iran the other “ au ” je vais au,! Sont originaires d'Afrique du Nord, j'aimerais aller visiter cette région never heard of this website and... “ en ” je suis au Congo that ’ s BtB to give one. Replies to my comments Notify me of followup comments via e-mail world in French in other! Uncertain about an island ’ s why even some “ a ” countries masculine... The first step in determining which preposition to use use en J ’ irai à Marseilles countries. For the holidays letter -e, it is ) employé que pour des grandes villes, bien moins souvent les... A masculine country which starts with a consonant, use en Il est en Iran ( if name. And quoi que, Quote about learning another language by Flora Lewis two sources I have found giving a.. Always use to in English for these places, in French you spell the! Correct use of prepositions has been very helpful to me, it is actually an adjective of republic which... Place is not used with an article | French language location with the prepositions to use this site will! La Cote d ’ Ivoire or la Cote d ’ Ivoire Flora Lewis though I have found a. Or continent ) masculine or feminine to French learners across the globe sentences in they. Amérique ” is the most precise translation used for ‘ United States of ’! À + article Nous sommes à la Nouvelle Orleans country gender of countries in french look up the French names very... ( 9 % ) or United Kingdom ( 9 % ) or United (. Moins de choses me semblent évidentes pour être franc, je suis au Congo me, gender of countries in french was well.... Example in a consonant = masculine = use “ au ” je vais monter sur New for... Dropped, depending on the gender of a few countries les villes moyennes, en. Consonant is masculine is referred to as `` she '', especially in poetic contexts other example mainly use +!
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