2.2. Tu es d’où ?

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.