De quel pays viens-tu ?
The English phrase "which country are you from?" is translated into French as De quel pays viens-tu ?
This phrase is a question used to ask someone about their country of origin.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase De quel pays viens-tu ? literally translates to "From which country come you?"
Which one should you use?
While De quel pays viens-tu ? specifically asks for a country, the phrase D'où viens-tu ? is a more general way to ask "Where do you come from?"
How does it change in a sentence?
When speaking to a stranger, a superior or a group of people, use the formal form De quel pays venez-vous ? In casual spoken French, the word order Tu viens de quel pays ? is more common than the inverted form De quel pays viens-tu ?
Did you know?
- French speakers may avoid De quel pays viens-tu ? when speaking to someone from a French-speaking territory like Quebec or Senegal, preferring to ask about their specific city or region.
- While pays translates to 'country', it is also used in French to describe a specific region, province or even a local village within France.
- The word quel is a linguistic ancestor to the English word 'quality'. Both originate from the Latin 'qualis', which describes the nature or kind of something.
Examples in context
- Je viens de France.I come from France.
- Excuse-moi, de quel pays viens-tu ?Excuse me, which country are you from?
- Dis-moi, de quel pays viens-tu ?Tell me, which country are you from?
Example conversation
Two people meeting at a language exchange event.
- LéaSalut, de quel pays viens-tu ?Hi, which country are you from?
- HugoJe viens d'Espagne, et toi ?I am from Spain, and you?
- LéaMoi, je viens de France.Me, I am from France.
- HugoEnchanté, Léa !Nice to meet you, Léa!
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries de, pays, quel, CC BY-SA 4.0.
