Je viens des États-Unis
To say "I am from the united states" in French, use Je viens des États-Unis.
This phrase is used to state that your country of origin is the United States. You can also use the adjective américain if you are male or américaine if you are female to state that you are American.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase literally translates to "I come from the United States". The word des is a contraction of de (from) and les (the).
Which one should you use?
Je suis originaire des États-Unis is used for a more formal tone, whereas Je viens des States or Je viens des US are informal ways to say "I come from the States" or "I come from the US".
How does it change in a sentence?
Because États-Unis is a plural noun, you must use the contraction des (from the) instead of keeping the words separate.
What mistakes should you avoid?
Avoid saying de les États-Unis. In French, you must use the mandatory contraction des États-Unis.
Did you know?
- When stating your nationality, you do not capitalize the adjective américain in French, unlike the English 'American'.
- If you say Je viens d'Amérique, a French speaker might be confused because Amérique refers to the entire landmass of North and South America.
- The phrase États-Unis is a direct 'calque', meaning it is a word-for-word translation of the English 'United States' rather than a native French name for the country.
Examples in context
- Je suis originaire des États-Unis.I am originally from the United States.
- Je viens des States.I come from the States.
- Enchanté, je viens des États-Unis.Nice to meet you, I am from the United States.
- Non, je viens des États-Unis, pas du Canada.No, I am from the United States, not Canada.
Example conversation
Nathan and Léa are meeting for the first time at a social event.
- NathanBonjour, je m'appelle Nathan. Et vous ?Hello, my name is Nathan. And you?
- LéaJe m'appelle Léa. Vous habitez ici ?My name is Léa. Do you live here?
- NathanNon, je viens des États-Unis.No, I am from the United States.
- LéaAh, d'accord ! Bienvenue en France.Ah, okay! Welcome to France.
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries des, je, États-Unis, CC BY-SA 4.0.
