So you use des if the country is plural like Etas-unis, but Pays du Gaules is du?

Debbi S.A1Kwiziq community member

So you use des if the country is plural like Etas-unis, but Pays du Gaules is du?

Asked 7 years ago
CécileKwiziq team memberCorrect answer

Hi Debbi,

it is, Les Etats-Unis and Le Pays de Galles.

Used with Venir de :

Je viens des Etats-Unis.I come from the USA.

Nous venons du Pays de Galles. We come from Wales.

Hope this helps!

 

Ron T.C1 Kwiziq Q&A super contributor
Bonjour Debbi, I think that you may be looking at this with an English perspective. The word «Pays» is a masculine, singular or plural noun meaning: 1) country 2) region 3) village all in the singular. The only time it becomes plural is when «des», a partitive article or «les» a definite article, precedes it, i.e. les pays, des pays. Le Pays du Gaules or du Pays du Gaules is the correct form. As for the U.S. we have: Les Etats-Unis, des Etats-Unis and aux Etats-Unis. I will admit that I have never seen «des Etats-Unis» used, perhaps I haven't read the correct articles but I don't see how that could be partitive. J'espère que ma réponse vous aiderait. Bonne chance et bonne continuation dans vos études en français, la langue de Molière et qui a été utilisé par le monde français depuis l’époque d’Hugues Capet Ron (un locuteur non natif )
Debbi S.A1Kwiziq community member
Merci Ron!
Ron T.C1 Kwiziq Q&A super contributor
C'était avec plaisir. Bonne journée.

So you use des if the country is plural like Etas-unis, but Pays du Gaules is du?

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