Finding Out Where Someone Is From
2.2.1. The Main Idea
In French, there are several ways to ask where someone is from. The simplest everyday version is:
Tu es d’où ? | Where are you from? informal |
Vous êtes d’où ? | Where are you from? formal or plural |
The word d’où means from where.
2.2.2. Main Questions
Tu es d’où ? | Where are you from? informal |
Vous êtes d’où ? | Where are you from? formal or plural |
D’où es-tu ? | Where are you from? informal, more formal structure |
D’où êtes-vous ? | Where are you from? formal |
2.2.3. Main Answer Pattern
Je suis de ___ . | I am from ___ . |
Je suis de Calgary. | I am from Calgary. |
Je suis de Beijing. | I am from Beijing. |
Je suis de Paris. | I am from Paris. |
Je suis de Montréal. | I am from Montreal. |
Use de before a city to say from.
2.2.4. Countries
Je suis du Canada. | I am from Canada. |
Je suis de Chine. | I am from China. |
Je suis des États-Unis. | I am from the United States. |
Je suis de France. | I am from France. |
With countries, from can change form:
de + feminine country | de |
de + masculine country | du |
de + plural country | des |
2.2.5. Examples
Je suis de Calgary. | I am from Calgary. |
Je suis de Beijing. | I am from Beijing. |
Je suis de Montréal. | I am from Montreal. |
Je suis de Paris. | I am from Paris. |
Je suis du Canada. | I am from Canada. |
Je suis de Chine. | I am from China. |
Je suis de France. | I am from France. |
Je suis des États-Unis. | I am from the United States. |
2.2.6. Mini Conversation: Informal
A : Tu es d’où ? | A: Where are you from? |
B : Je suis de Beijing. Et toi ? | B: I am from Beijing. And you? |
A : Je suis de Calgary. | A: I am from Calgary. |
2.2.7. Mini Conversation: Formal
A : Vous êtes d’où ? | A: Where are you from? |
B : Je suis de Montréal. Et vous ? | B: I am from Montreal. And you? |
A : Je suis de Calgary. | A: I am from Calgary. |
2.2.8. Key Vocabulary
d’où | from where |
où | where |
de | from / of |
du | from the, masculine singular |
des | from the, plural |
je suis | I am |
tu es | you are, informal |
vous êtes | you are, formal or plural |
et toi ? | and you? informal |
et vous ? | and you? formal |
2.2.9. Core Patterns
Tu es d’où ? | Where are you from? informal |
Vous êtes d’où ? | Where are you from? formal or plural |
Je suis de ___ . | I am from ___ . |
Je suis de Calgary. | I am from Calgary. |
Je suis du Canada. | I am from Canada. |
Je suis de Chine. | I am from China. |
2.2.10. Practice
Where are you from? informal |
Where are you from? formal |
I am from Calgary. |
I am from Beijing. |
I am from Canada. |
I am from China. |
And you? informal |
And you? formal |
2.2.11. Answers
Where are you from? informal | Tu es d’où ? |
Where are you from? formal | Vous êtes d’où ? |
I am from Calgary. | Je suis de Calgary. |
I am from Beijing. | Je suis de Beijing. |
I am from Canada. | Je suis du Canada. |
I am from China. | Je suis de Chine. |
And you? informal | Et toi ? |
And you? formal | Et vous ? |
2.2.12. Short Dialogue
A : Salut ! Tu es d’où ? | A: Hi! Where are you from? |
B : Je suis de Beijing. Et toi ? | B: I am from Beijing. And you? |
A : Je suis de Calgary. | A: I am from Calgary. |
B : D’accord ! | B: Okay! |
2.2.13. Checkpoint
By the end of this lesson, you should be able to ask where someone is from using tu or vous, answer with je suis de + city, and recognize basic country forms such as du Canada, de Chine, de France, and des États-Unis.