pays européens
The English phrase "european countries" is translated into French as pays européens.
The phrase refers to nations that are located on the continent of Europe.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is composed of the noun pays (countries) and the adjective européens (European).
How does it change in a sentence?
The phrase is in the masculine plural form because the noun pays is masculine and the adjective européens must agree with it.
What mistakes should you avoid?
Avoid using pays européennes. This is grammatically incorrect because pays is a masculine noun and cannot take a feminine plural adjective.
Did you know?
- The word pays originally meant a person living in a specific district rather than the territory itself. It stems from the Latin word pāgus, which referred to a small countryside or a rural district.
- The word pays can refer to a sovereign state like a 'european country', but it is also used to describe a specific region or province within a country, such as the Pays Basque.
- The noun pays is an unusual case in French because it ends in an 's' in both its singular and plural forms. This means the pluralization of pays européens is indicated only by the adjective.
Examples in context
- J'aime bien les pays européens.I like European countries.This sentence shows how to express a personal preference for pays européens.Tatoeba #10460729 by Rovo, translation #11612775 by tieguy
- Il faut un accord entre les pays européens.An agreement between European countries is needed.This sentence uses pays européens to describe a requirement for an agreement.Tatoeba #1083038 by Aiji, translation #2800097 by mervert1
- Les Alpes s'étendent sur huit pays européens.The Alps extend across eight European countries.This sentence uses pays européens to describe the geographical extent of the Alps.Tatoeba #10547954 by lbdx, translation #10547907 by sundown
- On part en vacances en Grèce cette année.We're going on vacation to Greece this year.
- 5 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Gabriel and Manon are discussing their future travel plans.
- GabrielQuels pays européens veux-tu visiter ?Which European countries do you want to visit?
- ManonJe rêve d'aller en Italie et en Espagne.I dream of going to Italy and Spain.
- GabrielCe sont des pays européens magnifiques.Those are magnificent European countries.
- ManonOui, j'adore leur culture et leur cuisine.Yes, I love their culture and cuisine.
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries pays, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
