Place: à, au, en, dans, chez
Where: à, en, dans, chez
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Where: à, en, dans, chez
Use à with most city names (à Paris), en with feminine countries or countries beginning with a vowel (en France, en Iran), au with masculine countries beginning with a consonant (au Canada), and aux with plural countries (aux États-Unis). Chez introduces a person or their place.
Examples in context
Read the examples and compare their English meanings.
Cities
Most city names take à. Names with articles can differ: au Havre.
J'habite à Paris.
I live in Paris.
Countries (Gender-based)
Use 'en' for feminine, 'au' for masculine countries.
Je voyage en France et au Canada.
I am traveling to France and Canada.
People's homes
Use 'chez' before people's names or professions.
Je suis chez Marie.
I am at Marie's house.
Common mix-ups
Paris takes à. Country prepositions depend on gender, number, and the initial sound; some city names also include an article.
I am going to Paris.
Try a reply
Say or write your answer in French before opening the example.
I live in Lyon and I work at Paul's home.
Show one possible answer
J'habite à Lyon et je travaille chez Paul.
Other wording can work too. Compare the verb form, agreement, and word order with the lesson. Then try a sentence about your own day.
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