Learn French: Il est mexicain.

Il est mexicain.

He is Mexican.

Breakdown of Il est mexicain.

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Questions & Answers about Il est mexicain.

Why do we use Il est mexicain without an article, rather than Il est un mexicain?

When using il est or elle est to state someone's nationality, profession, or religion, French treats the word as an adjective describing the person. Because it acts as an adjective, you drop the article (un or une). Saying il est un mexicain is incorrect.

Could I say C'est un Mexicain instead?

Yes, but notice how the structure changes. When you use c'est, you are identifying the person rather than just describing them. Because of this, you must use a noun, which requires the article (un) and a capital letter for the nationality: C'est un Mexicain.

Why is mexicain written with a lowercase 'm' here?

In English, nationalities are always capitalized. In French, they are only capitalized when used as a noun to refer to a person (like in C'est un Mexicain). Because mexicain is functioning as an adjective in this specific sentence (Il est mexicain), it must be lowercase.