Question 1

Why do we use en before Allemagne instead of dans or à?

Accepted Answer

In French, you use en for "in" or "to" when talking about feminine countries. A good rule of thumb is that almost all countries ending in -e are feminine, including l'Allemagne (Germany).

Question 2

The lesson is about d'où (from where). How would I change this sentence to say we are from Germany?

Accepted Answer

If someone asks D'où venez-vous ? (Where are you from?), you use de (or d' before a vowel) for feminine countries instead of en. You would say Nous venons d'Allemagne (We come from Germany).

Question 3

Why is there a de in près de la frontière? Can I just say près la?

Accepted Answer

You always need the de! The French phrase for "near" is literally "near of" (près de). Since frontière (border) is a feminine word, it stays as près de la. If it were a masculine word like le parc (the park), de and le would combine into du, making it près du parc.

Question 4

Do I pronounce the "s" at the end of Nous?

Accepted Answer

Yes, but only because of the next word! Usually, the "s" on nous is silent. But since habitons starts with a silent "h" and a vowel sound, you link the words together. The "s" makes a "z" sound, so it sounds like "noo-zah-bee-tohn". This linking of sounds is called a liaison.

Nous habitons près de la frontière, en Allemagne.

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