4.3 Expressions with Être
Être + de
To express a place of origin (where you are from), you can use the verb être and the preposition de (from):
être + de + ville/pays
Je suis de Paris / I am from Paris
Être + à
To express where you are located (at), you can use the verb être and the preposition à (at):
être + à + place.
Nous sommes au supermarché. / We are at the supermarket.
Don’t forget that it is necessary to make changes to the preposition à if it is followed by a masculine definite article (à + le = au) or plural definite article (à + les = aux).
Exercice 5: Être + de
Translate the following sentences into French.
- Luc is from Bern.
- We are from Kinshasa.
- They are from Port Vila.
- She is from Port-au-Prince.
Exercice 6: Être + à
Translate the following sentences into French.
- I am at the market.
- Paul and Luc are at the theatre.
- Marie and I are at the park.
- We are at the hotel.
- You (familiar, sing.) are at the train station.