Countries and Cities in French: How to choose the right preposition every time

Why do we say en France but au Mexique? After all, both countries end with the letter “e”! 

Navigating the grammar rules for geographical prepositions in the French language can feel like a minefield of unpredictable exceptions. But it does not have to be a guessing game. In this guide, we are breaking down the simple formula to determine the gender of any country, how to pair it with the correct preposition, and most importantly, the exact exceptions you need to memorize so you can speak flawlessly every single time.

1. The general rules for countries 

To pick the right preposition in French, you first need to determine the grammatical gender of the country. French divides countries into feminine, masculine, and plural categories based on how the name is spelled.

• Feminine countries generally end with the letter "e". For these, you will use the preposition en (en France, en Italie). 
  

• Masculine countries generally end with a consonant or any other vowel. For these, you will use the preposition au (au Portugal, au Japon). 
  

• Plural countries generally end with an "s" or "x" (often representing federations or archipelagos). For these, you will use the preposition aux (aux États-Unis, aux Pays-Bas).

2. Every country exception you need to know

As with everything in French grammar, there are a few exceptions that break the pattern. Memorizing these three specific groups will instantly set your French apart.

Exception 1: The masculine countries ending in “e” 

There are exactly six countries that end with the letter "e" but are grammatically masculine. Because they are masculine, you must use the preposition au instead of en:   

• Le Mexique → au Mexique 
  

• Le Cambodge → au Cambodge 
  

• Le Mozambique → au Mozambique 
  

• Le Belize → au Belize 
  

• Le Zimbabwe → au Zimbabwe 
  

• Le Suriname → au Suriname

Exception 2: masculine countries starting with a VOWEL 

When a country is masculine but starts with a vowel (or a silent H), the standard rule changes. To avoid an awkward double-vowel sound ("au Iran"), French replaces au with en:

• L'Iran (m) → en Iran 
  

• L'Irak (m) → en Irak 
  

• L'Angola (m) → en Angola 
  

• L'Israël (m) → en Israël

Exception 3: islands and micro-states with no article 

Certain countries do not use an article (le or la) at all. Because they don't have a defined grammatical gender, they take the preposition à (just like cities do): 

• Cuba → à Cuba 
  

• Madagascar → à Madagascar 
  

• Chypre → à Chypre 
  

• Malte → à Malte 
  

• Haïti → à Haïti

3. Prepositions for cities: rules and tricky exceptions

Cities are generally much easier to navigate than countries, but they still have one major trap to look out for. 

The general rule for cities: 

Cities do not use articles. No matter the city, you will almost always use the preposition à: 

• À Paris 
  

• À New York 
  

• À Tokyo 
  

• À Montréal 

The exceptions for cities: 

A handful of cities around the world have a masculine article (Le) permanently built straight into their official name. When you use a preposition with these cities, the "à" and the "Le" fuse together to form au:  

• Le Caire (Cairo) → au Caire 
  

• Le Cap (Cape Town) → au Cap 
  

• Le Havre → au Havre 
  

• Le Mans → au Mans

Don't worry if you don't memorize every single island or city exception overnight. Language learning is a journey, and every mistake is just a stepping stone toward fluency. The next time you are booking a flight, chatting with a language partner, or daydreaming about your next destination, use these rules as your compass. Keep practicing, stay curious, and enjoy the process!