je viens de
The French phrase for "I come from" is je viens de.
je viens de is a phrase used to state the place where a person was born or grew up.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is composed of je (I), viens (come/am coming) and de (from).
Which one should you use?
Je viens de is used to indicate origin or birthplace, whereas Je suis de is a more direct way to say "I am from" a specific city.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Northern France, it is common to use Je viens du Nord to specify that you come from the northern region. In the Southern regions, people often use Je suis du Sud to indicate they come from the South.
How does it change in a sentence?
When the place following je viens de begins with a vowel or a silent 'h', de must contract to d' (e.g., je viens d').
Did you know?
- In French, if you say Je viens de manger, you are not saying 'I come from eating', but rather 'I have just eaten'.
- In French, the word venir used in je viens de shares a root with the English word 'avenue', which originally referred to a place of arriving.
- While English speakers use 'from' for both origin and source, using je viens de followed by a person can imply you are an emissary or a messenger sent by them.
Examples in context
- Je viens de Boston.I come from Boston.This sentence is useful for practicing the phrase je viens de with a city.Tatoeba #4321606 by nimfeo, translation #2308006 by CK
- Je viens de Saitama.I come from Saitama.Tatoeba #6491 by Cocorico, translation #257700 by CN
- Je viens de Hollande.I come from Holland.This sentence is useful for practicing the phrase je viens de with a country.Tatoeba #1082163 by Julien_PDC, translation #2302308 by Adelpa
- Je viens de Paris.I come from Paris.
- Je suis originaire de Lyon.I come from Lyon.
- Je viens de chez Thomas.I come from Thomas's place.
- Je suis de Marseille.I come from Marseille.
- Je viens du Nord de la France.I come from the North of France.
- Je suis du Sud de la France.I come from the South of France.
- 7 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Two people are meeting at a social event.
- EmmaEnchantée, je m'appelle Emma.Nice to meet you, my name is Emma.
- HugoEnchanté, moi c'est Hugo. D'où es-tu ?Nice to meet you, I'm Hugo. Where are you from?
- EmmaJe viens de Lyon.I come from Lyon.
- HugoAh, c'est une très belle ville !Ah, that is a very beautiful city!
Sources
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
