French provinces and regions

Both traditional pre-Revolution regions and modern administrative regions usually take the definite article as in l’Alsace, la Champagne etc. :

I like Alsace

= j’aime l’Alsace

Champagne is beautiful

= la Champagne est belle

For names which have a compound form, such as Midi-Pyrénées or Rhône-Alpes, it is safer to include the words la région :

do you know Midi-Pyrénées?

= connaissez-vous la région Midi-Pyrénées?

In, to and from somewhere

There are certain general principles regarding names of French provinces and regions. However, usage is sometimes uncertain ; doubtful items should be checked in the dictionary.

For in and to, with feminine names and with masculine ones beginning with a vowel, use en without the definite article :

to live in Burgundy

= vivre en Bourgogne

to go to Burgundy

= aller en Bourgogne

to live in Anjou

= vivre en Anjou

to go to Anjou

= aller en Anjou

For in and to with masculine names beginning with a consonant, use dans le :

to live in the Berry

= vivre dans le Berry

to go to the Berry

= aller dans le Berry

For from with feminine names and with masculine ones beginning with a vowel, use de without the definite article :

to come from Burgundy

= venir de Bourgogne

to come from Anjou

= venir d’Anjou

For from with masculine names beginning with a consonant, use du :

to come from the Berry

= venir du Berry

Regional adjectives

Related adjectives and nouns exist for most of the names of provinces and regions. Here is a list of the commonest :

These adjectives mean of X, as in the following (where alsacien stands for any of them) :

an Alsace accent

= un accent alsacien

Alsace costume

= le costume alsacien

the Alsace countryside

= les paysages alsaciens

Alsace traditions

= les traditions alsaciennes

Alsace villages

= les villages alsaciens

These words can also be used as nouns, meaning a person from X ; in this case they are written with a capital letter :

a person from Alsace

= un Alsacien

an Alsace woman

= une Alsacienne

the people of Alsace

= les Alsaciens mpl

Big English-French dictionary. 2003.