aux + Plural Country

In/to a Plural-named Country with Aux

Level 1

In French, the preposition aux is used to say 'in' or 'to' for countries that have plural names (like the United States or the Netherlands). It is a mandatory contraction of à + les.

How It Works

The preposition aux is the result of the mandatory contraction of à + les. It is used to mean "in" or "to" with plural-named countries.

1. When to use it:
Use aux when you are talking about a country or island group that is grammatically plural. Common examples include:

  • Les États-Unis (The United States) → Je vais aux États-Unis.
  • Les Pays-Bas (The Netherlands) → J'habite aux Pays-Bas.
  • Les Philippines (The Philippines) → Elle est aux Philippines.

2. Important Distinctions:

  • Not for Subjects: If the country is the subject of the sentence, just use the definite article les. (e.g., Les États-Unis sont grands.)
  • Not for Origin: To say you are "from" a plural country, use the contraction des instead. (e.g., Je viens des États-Unis.)
  • Regions: While aux works for plural countries, sub-national regions can be more complex and may use different prepositions like en.

3. Pronunciation and Liaison:
When the country name begins with a vowel, you must perform a liaison. The 'x' in aux is pronounced like a [z] sound. For example, aux États-Unis sounds like [o-zay-tah-zoo-nee].

4. Movement vs. Location:
The verb determines the meaning of aux:

  • Je vais aux Émirats. = I am going to the Emirates.
  • Je suis aux Émirats. = I am in/at the Emirates.

Examples (4)

  1. Mon frère fait ses études aux États-Unis.

    My brother is studying in the United States.

    Word by Word: My brother makes his studies in-the States-United.

    Here, 'aux' is used because 'États-Unis' is a plural country name. Note the [z] liaison sound between 'aux' and 'États'.

  2. Nous partons en vacances aux Seychelles cet été.

    We are going on vacation to the Seychelles this summer.

    Word by Word: We leave in vacations to-the Seychelles this summer.

    'Aux' is used for island groups like the Seychelles that are treated as plural entities.

  3. Il a passé trois ans aux Pays-Bas pour son travail.

    He spent three years in the Netherlands for his work.

    Word by Word: He has passed three years in-the Countries-Low for his work.

    'Les Pays-Bas' is plural, so 'à + les' becomes 'aux'.

  4. Elle veut voyager aux Philippines l'année prochaine.

    She wants to travel to the Philippines next year.

    Word by Word: She wants to travel to-the Philippines the year next.

    Even though 'Philippines' is feminine plural, the preposition remains 'aux'.

Common Mistakes

  • Using 'en' for plural countries starting with a vowel.

    J'habite en États-Unis.
    J'habite aux États-Unis.

    Learners often think that because 'États-Unis' starts with a vowel, they should use 'en'. However, the plural rule overrides the vowel rule. Always use 'aux' for plural names.

  • Forgetting the mandatory contraction 'à + les'.

    Je vais à les Pays-Bas.
    Je vais aux Pays-Bas.

    In French, 'à' and 'les' must always contract into 'aux'. Leaving them separate is grammatically incorrect.

How It Connects

Tap a pattern to see what it builds on and what it leads to.

aux + Plural CountryLevel 1In/to a Plural-named Country with Aux

Learn This First

To use 'aux' with plural-named countries, you must first understand how the preposition 'à' (to/in) contracts with the plural definite article 'les' to form 'aux'. You also need to recognize that certain countries are grammatically plural in French.

Words in This Pattern