il vient de
The English phrase 'he is from' is translated into French as il vient de.
This phrase is used to state the place where someone was born or where they live originally.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase il vient de literally translates to 'he comes from'.
How does it change in a sentence?
The particle de changes depending on the noun that follows it. When the place following the phrase is a masculine noun starting with a consonant, de contracts to du (forming il vient du). When the place following the phrase is plural, de contracts to des (forming il vient des).
Did you know?
- The verb venir in il vient de is used to create the 'recent past' tense. If you follow the phrase with another verb, such as il vient de partir, it means 'he just left'.
- Beyond geography, il vient de can describe a person's social or professional roots. For example, it can be used to say 'he comes from a wealthy family'.
- While city names usually prevent the particle de from contracting, some cities like le Havre require it. In these rare cases, you must say il vient du Havre.
Examples in context
- Je pense qu'il vient de France.I think that he is from France.This sentence is useful for expressing a thought about where someone is from using il vient de.Tatoeba #8731448 by Julien_PDC, translation #5150345 by CarpeLanam
- Il vient de l'école dont fait partie Rima.He is from Rima's school.This sentence uses il vient de to indicate which school a person attends.Tatoeba #12683608 by Olcyx, translation #10344275 by Amastan
- Il vient de France.He is from France.This sentence is a simple way to state someone's origin using il vient de.Tatoeba #483026 by adjusting, translation #434930 by lukaszpp
- Il est originaire de Paris.He is from Paris.
- Il vient de Bordeaux.He is from Bordeaux.
- Il est de Marseille.He is from Marseille.
- Il est originaire d'Alger.He is from Algiers.
- Il est originaire d'Italie.He is of Italian origin.
Example conversation
Hugo and Léa are talking about a new colleague.
- HugoTu connais le nouveau collègue ?Do you know the new colleague?
- LéaOui, il vient de Canada.Yes, he is from Canada.
- HugoC'est pour ça qu'il parle anglais.That is why he speaks English.
- LéaExactement, il vient de Montréal.Exactly, he is from Montreal.
Sources
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
