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, usually not ending in -e au au Mexique in/to Mexico
Plural countries aux aux États-Unis in/to the United States
Countries beginning 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 country → des
I’m from Italy. Je viens d’Italie. Country beginning with a 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.

Try It Out

Choose the Correct Country Preposition

First, complete each French sentence. Then apply the same rules to a short travel route.

Part 1

Complete the sentences

Choose the country phrase that makes each sentence correct.

For destinations and locations, choose between en, au and aux.
For origins, choose between de, du, des and d’.
  1. 1
    Nous allons cet été.

  2. 2
    Elle habite .

  3. 3
    Ils reviennent .

  4. 4
    Je viens .

  5. 5
    Vous partez demain.

  6. 6
    Nous sommes .

  7. 7
    Il revient .

  8. 8
    Je vais en septembre.

Part 2

Your travel route

Apply the rules in a short spoken response.

You come from Canada
You are going to Italy
Then you are going to the United States

Your challenge

Say three sentences in French:

  • where you come from;
  • where you are going first;
  • where you are going afterwards.
Think of your three sentences and say them aloud before revealing the model.

One possible answer

Je viens du Canada. Je vais en Italie. Ensuite, je vais aux États-Unis.

I come from Canada. I am going to Italy. Then I am going to the United States.