ils viennent de
The English phrase "they are from" is expressed in French as ils viennent de.
This phrase is used to state the place where a group of people was born or where they currently live.
What does it mean word for word?
Literally, ils viennent de means "they come from", using the verb venir (to come) instead of the verb for "to be".
How does it change in a sentence?
The form of the phrase changes depending on the gender of the group and the specific noun used for the place. If you are referring to a group consisting only of females, you must use the feminine form elles viennent de. The preposition de also contracts based on the place being mentioned: use ils viennent du if the place is a masculine noun starting with a consonant, ils viennent des if the place is a plural noun and ils viennent d' if the place starts with a vowel or a silent 'h'.
Did you know?
- In the 13th century, the word il was used for both 'he' and 'they' in Old French. The plural 's' seen in ils was only added later as the language's complex grammatical system began to collapse.
- The verb venir in ils viennent de is used for both origin and arrival, meaning the phrase can also be interpreted as 'they are arriving from'.
- The use of venir to express where someone is from mirrors a pattern in other Romance languages, such as Spanish venir de.
Examples in context
- Ils sont originaires de ParisThey are originally from Paris
- Elles viennent du CanadaThey come from Canada
- Elles sont de BelgiqueThey are from Belgium
- Ils viennent de MarseilleThey come from Marseille
- Elles sont de NiceThey are from Nice
- Ils sont originaires de LyonThey are originally from Lyon
- Ils viennent de FranceThey come from France
- Elles viennent de SuisseThey come from Switzerland
- Ils sont originaires d'EspagneThey are originally from Spain
- Ils sont de Paris, en FranceThey are from Paris, France
- Elles viennent de Nice, dans le sud de la FranceThey come from Nice, in the south of France
- Elles viennent du Château de VersaillesThey come from the Palace of Versailles
- Ils viennent de Paris.They are from Paris.
- Ils viennent de France.They are from France.
- Ils viennent de petits villages.They are from small villages.
Example conversation
Emma and Nathan are talking about their new neighbors.
- EmmaTu connais les nouveaux voisins ?Do you know the new neighbors?
- NathanOui, ils viennent de Lyon.Yes, they are from Lyon.
- EmmaAh bon ? C'est sympa.Oh really? That's nice.
- NathanOui, ils sont très gentils.Yes, they are very kind.
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries de, ils, CC BY-SA 4.0.
