Where to Go
Continents, Countries, and Nationalities
In this section, we will cover the vocabulary related to continents, countries, and nationalities. It's important to pay attention to the correct gender for each noun, as well as the spelling of adjectives, which change depending on whether they describe a masculine or feminine noun.
Continents
Here are the names of the continents in French, along with the adjectives used to describe someone or something from each continent.
| Continent | In French | Adjective (masculine-feminine) |
|---|
| Africa | Afrique | Africain / Africaine |
| Antarctica | Antarctique | Antarctique (same for both genders) |
| Asia | Asie | Asiatique (same for both genders) |
| Australia | Australie | Australien / Australienne |
| Europe | Europe | Européen / Européenne |
| North America | Amérique du Nord | Nord-Américain / Nord-Américaine |
| South America | Amérique du Sud | Sud-Américain / Sud-Américaine |
Countries and Nationalities
Below is a table listing some countries along with their French names and the corresponding nationalities. The nationalities are provided in both the masculine and feminine forms.
| Country | Pays | Nationalité (masculin-féminin) |
|---|
| France | La France | français / française |
| Canada | Le Canada | canadien / canadienne |
| United States | Les États-Unis | américain / américaine |
| England | L'Angleterre | anglais / anglaise |
| Japan | Le Japon | japonais / japonaise |
| Germany | L'Allemagne | allemand / allemande |
| Argentina | L'Argentine | argentin / argentine |
| Australia | L'Australie | australien / australienne |
| Belgium | La Belgique | belge (same for both genders) |
| Brazil | Le Brésil | brésilien / brésilienne |
| Chile | Le Chilli | chilien / chilienne |
| China | La Chine | chinois / chinoise |
| Denmark | Le Danemark | danois / danoise |
| Egypt | L'Égypte | égyptien / égyptienne |
| Spain | L'Espagne | espagnol / espagnole |
| Greece | La Grèce | grec / grecque |
| India | L'Inde | indien / indienne |
| Italy | L'Italie | italien / italienne |
| Mexico | Le Mexique | mexicain / mexicaine |
| Norway | La Norvège | norvégien / norvégienne |
| New Zealand | La Nouvelle-Zélande | néo-zélandais / néo-zélandaise |
| Peru | Le Pérou | péruvien / péruvienne |
| Russia | La Russie | russe (same for both genders) |
| Sweden | La Suède | suédois / suédoise |
| Switzerland | La Suisse | suisse (same for both genders) |
| Senegal | Le Sénégal | sénégalais / sénégalaise |
| Algeria | L'Algérie | algérien / algérienne |
| Singapore | Le Singapour | singapourien / singapourienne |
| Colombia | La Colombie | colombien / colombienne |
| Turkey | La Turquie | turc / turque |
Grammar Points
- Gender Agreement: Remember that in French, adjectives (including nationalities) must agree in gender and number with the nouns they describe. For example:
- Il est français (He is French) – masculine
- Elle est française (She is French) – feminine
- Capitalisation: When a nationality is used as a noun (e.g., un Américain), it is capitalised. However, when it is used as an adjective (e.g., un type américain), it is not capitalised.
- Special Cases: Some nationalities have irregular feminine forms or do not change between masculine and feminine forms, such as belge (Belgian) or russe (Russian).
- Country Names: In French, country names have genders, which affects the article used:
- Masculine: Le Canada, Le Japon
- Feminine: La France, La Chine
- Plural: Les États-Unis, Les Philippines
Sample Sentences
- Mon ami est canadien. Il vient du Canada. (My friend is Canadian. He is from Canada.)
- Elle est australienne. Elle habite en Australie. (She is Australian. She lives in Australia.)
Popular Holiday Destinations
| French | English |
|---|
| Paris | Paris |
| New York | New York |
| Londres | London |
| Tokyo | Tokyo |
| Rome | Rome |
| Barcelone | Barcelona |
| Sydney | Sydney |
| Los Angeles | Los Angeles |
| Berlin | Berlin |
| Dubaï | Dubai |
| Bangkok | Bangkok |
| Rio de Janeiro | Rio de Janeiro |
| Istanbul | Istanbul |
| Le Caire | Cairo |
| Le Cap | Cape Town |
| Amsterdam | Amsterdam |
| Hong Kong | Hong Kong |
| Mexico | Mexico City |
Why No Article is Needed for Most Cities:
- General Rule for Cities:
- Cities typically do not take an article in French when you refer to them by name. For example, you say "Paris," "Londres," or "Tokyo" without an article.
- This is because cities are considered proper nouns and, unlike countries or regions, they don't require an article to define them in the French language.
- Exceptions:
- Some cities do require an article. For example:
- Le Caire (Cairo)
- La Nouvelle-Orléans (New Orleans)
- Countries and Regions:
- Unlike cities, countries, continents, and regions usually do take an article:
- La France (France)
- Le Japon (Japan)
- Les États-Unis (The United States)
- Prepositions and Articles with Cities:
- When expressing movement to a city, you typically use the preposition "à" without an article:
- Je vais à Paris (I'm going to Paris)
- Il habite à Tokyo (He lives in Tokyo)
- For cities that do require an article, the preposition contracts with the article:
- Je vais au Havre (I'm going to Le Havre)
Key Vocabulary by Category: "Where to Go"
1. Asking for Directions
| French | English |
|---|
| Où est… ? | Where is… ? |
| Comment aller à… ? | How to get to… ? |
| à gauche | to the left |
| à droite | to the right |
| tout droit | straight ahead |
| la sortie | the exit |
| l'entrée | the entrance |
| un plan de la ville | a city map |
| une carte touristique | a tourist map |
2. Places in the City
| French | English |
|---|
| le centre-ville | downtown / city centre |
| la gare | the train station |
| l'aéroport | the airport |
| l'hôtel | the hotel |
| le musée | the museum |
| le restaurant | the restaurant |
| la plage | the beach |
| le parc | the park |
| le château | the castle |
| le marché | the market |
| la rue | the street |
| l'office de tourisme | the tourist office |
| la station de métro | the metro station |
| la gare routière | the bus station |
| l'arrêt de bus | the bus stop |
| la rue piétonne | the pedestrian street |
| un quartier | a district/neighbourhood |
| une banlieue | a suburb |
| une place | a square |
| un centre commercial | a shopping centre |
| une galerie d'art | an art gallery |
| un cinéma | a cinema |
| une discothèque | a nightclub |
| un parc d'attractions | an amusement park |
| une réserve naturelle | a nature reserve |
| un village | a village |
3. Transportation
| French | English |
|---|
| le taxi | the taxi |
| la voiture de location | the rental car |
| un billet | a ticket |
| un aller simple | a one-way ticket |
| un aller-retour | a round-trip ticket |
| la gare maritime | the ferry terminal |
| un port | a port |
| une station de métro | a metro station |
| une gare routière | a bus station |
| un arrêt de bus | a bus stop |
| un passage piéton | a pedestrian crossing |
| un feu de signalisation | a traffic light |
| un embouteillage | a traffic jam |
| une piste cyclable | a bike path |
| un passage souterrain | an underpass |
| une station-service | a petrol station |
4. Accommodation
| French | English |
|---|
| l'hôtel | the hotel |
| une auberge de jeunesse | a youth hostel |
| une gîte | a holiday cottage |
| un hôtel de ville | a town hall |
5. Sightseeing and Tourist Attractions
| French | English |
|---|
| un monument | a monument |
| une cathédrale | a cathedral |
| une église | a church |
| un château | a castle |
| un pont | a bridge |
| un site touristique | a tourist site |
| une visite guidée | a guided tour |
| une excursion | an excursion |
| un musée | a museum |
| un parc | a park |
| une vallée | a valley |
| une montagne | a mountain |
| un lac | a lake |
| une rivière | a river |
| une plage | a beach |
| une campagne | the countryside |
6. Services and Amenities
| French | English |
|---|
| une pharmacie | a pharmacy |
| une banque | a bank |
| une poste | a post office |
| une épicerie | a grocery store |
| un supermarché | a supermarket |
| un hôpital | a hospital |
| une clinique | a clinic |
| un bureau de change | a currency exchange office |
7. Shopping
| French | English |
|---|
| une boulangerie | a bakery |
| une librairie | a bookstore |
| un marché | a market |
| un centre commercial | a shopping centre |
| un restaurant | a restaurant |
| une galerie d'art | an art gallery |
Key Phrases
- Où est... ? - Where is... ?
- Comment puis-je aller à... ? - How can I get to... ?
- Je voudrais aller à... - I would like to go to...
- C'est loin d'ici ? - Is it far from here?
- Quelle est la meilleure façon d'y aller ? - What is the best way to get there?
- Y a-t-il un bon restaurant près d'ici ? - Is there a good restaurant nearby?
- Combien de temps faut-il pour y arriver ? - How long does it take to get there?
- Est-ce que je peux marcher jusqu'à... ? - Can I walk to...?