Using “en”, “au” and “aux” with Countries in French

If you’ve ever wondered whether to say en France, au Canada, or aux États-Unis, you’re not alone.
Prepositions in French can seem confusing at first, but there’s a clear logic behind them — and once you learn a few patterns, they make perfect sense.

This guide will help you master how to use en, au, and aux when talking about countries, with examples drawn from real travel situations.

1. The Basics: Gender and Number Matter

In French, every country name has a gender — masculine or feminine — and sometimes it’s plural.
The choice of preposition depends on that:

Country Type	Preposition	Example	Meaning
Feminine countries (usually ending in -e)	en	en France	in/to France
Masculine countries (not ending in -e)	au	au Mexique	in/to Mexico
Plural countries	aux	aux États-Unis	in/to the United States
Countries starting with a vowel	en	en Iran, en Espagne	in/to Iran, Spain

➡️ Tip: Even masculine countries that start with a vowel take en instead of au, for smoother pronunciation.

2. Talking About Where You’re Going

To say I’m going to [country], use the verb aller followed by the right preposition:

• Je vais en France. → I’m going to France.
• Nous allons au Canada. → We’re going to Canada.
• Ils vont aux États-Unis. → They’re going to the United States.
• Elle va en Italie. → She’s going to Italy.

These examples echo the patterns found in Lesson 4 (Holiday Destinations) and Lesson 5 (Going Places) in the French for Holidays course — but they apply to any context where you talk about travel or nationality.

3. Talking About Where You Are

The same prepositions apply for being in a country:

• Je suis en Espagne. → I’m in Spain.
• Nous sommes au Japon. → We’re in Japan.
• Ils sont aux Pays-Bas. → They’re in the Netherlands.

Notice that you don’t need to change the preposition — en France can mean both in France and to France, depending on the verb.

4. Talking About Where You’re From

To say you’re from a country, use de, du, des, or d’:

English	French	Explanation
I’m from France.	Je viens de France.	Feminine country → de
I’m from Canada.	Je viens du Canada.	Masculine country → du
I’m from the United States.	Je viens des États-Unis.	Plural → des
I’m from Italy.	Je viens d’Italie.	Starts with vowel → d’

➡️ Compare these with en/au/aux — you can see how the gender and number patterns stay consistent.

5. Common Pitfalls

1. Don’t say à France or dans France — it’s always en France.
2. Don’t confuse au and aux:
   • au Portugal (singular masculine)
   • aux Philippines (plural)
3. Don’t drop the article (le/la/les) after à — the preposition merges:
   • à + le = au
   • à + les = aux

6. Cultural Tip: Geography the French Way

When you read French brochures or travel sites, you’ll see these prepositions everywhere:

Séjour en Italie, vacances au Maroc, circuit aux États-Unis, voyage en Islande

They’re often followed by adjectives that describe the experience:

• en Grèce authentique – in authentic Greece
• au Japon moderne – in modern Japan
• aux Caraïbes ensoleillées – in sunny Caribbean islands

Once you start recognising these patterns, you’ll spot them everywhere — from travel ads to online booking pages.

Practice

Try writing three sentences using each preposition:

1. Je vais en…
2. Je suis au…
3. Je viens des…

Can you create a mini travel diary using real destinations you’d like to visit?

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