French · Greetings & Essentials
"I'm from…" in French: je viens de…
je viens de…
I'm from… in French is je viens de…, then a city or country: Je viens de Lyon. It is the natural answer to Tu viens d'où ?
First meeting
Je viens de Toulouse.Speak with an AI partner · 7 days free
How to pronounce je viens de…
Say it
zhuh vyan duh
/ʒə vjɛ̃ də/
zhuh vyan duh. Je is zhuh; viens is nasal vyan; de is duh before a consonant, d' before a vowel.
"I'm from…" in French: quick reference
| French | English | When to use |
|---|---|---|
| je viens de… | I'm from… Default. | Default. |
| je viens d'… | I'm from… (before vowel) Je viens d'Italie. | Je viens d'Italie. |
| je suis de… | I'm from… Also heard; viens de is very common. | Also heard; viens de is very common. |
| je viens de la région de… | I'm from the … area Less precise origin. | Less precise origin. |
How to use je viens de… in real life
- 1First meeting
Je viens de Toulouse.
I'm from Toulouse.
City.
- 2Abroad
Je viens de France, près de Nantes.
I'm from France, near Nantes.
Country plus detail.
- 3Form small talk
Pour la fiche : je viens de Bruxelles.
For the form: I'm from Brussels.
Admin chat.
Mistakes English speakers make with je viens de…
Incorrect: Je viens de le Canada.
Correct: Je viens du Canada.
De + le = du before masculine countries.
Incorrect: Je suis viens de Paris.
Correct: Je viens de Paris.
No suis before viens.
Good to know
French small talk often goes Tu viens d'où ? — Je viens de…. Naming a city is enough; add the country when you're abroad.
Try it in a ChatPal conversation
Icebreaker at a meetup
ChatPal
Tu viens d'où ?
Where are you from?
You
Je viens de Marseille. Et toi ?
I'm from Marseille. And you?
ChatPal
Je viens de Lille.
I'm from Lille.
You
Sympa, on est tous les deux du nord ou du sud !
Nice — we're north and south!
This is a sample. In ChatPal you have this conversation out loud and get feedback on what you say.
Practice this conversation in ChatPal"I'm from…" in other languages
FAQ
Common questions about "I'm from…" in French
How do you say I'm from… in French?
Je viens de…
City or country?
Either: Je viens de Lyon / Je viens du Japon.
Je suis de vs je viens de?
Both occur; je viens de is a very common reply.
How do you pronounce je viens de?
zhuh vyan duh.
Learn a word, then use it out loud
- Step 1: See it in context
- Step 2: Say it out loud
- Step 3: Get feedback
- Step 4: Use it in real scenarios
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