French language Q&A Forum

a specious explanation. Brushing of my hair!

Hello!

Just a question regarding the usage of venir vs. être when saying where one is from: 

This lesson notes " To say which city you are from in French, you will use the following expression: Je viens de + [city]". One example given is "Je viens de Londres / I am from London". (And no alternative to "venir de" is mentioned in the lesson).  

However, a related lesson (À = To/in and De = From/of with cities in French (French Prepositions of Location)) gives an example using "être" to say where one is from: Je suis de La Rochelle / I'm from La Rochelle.

It seems there is a subtle difference in meaning (I am from vs. I come from), however in both of the above cases the translation given is "I am from". 

Could someone clarify if venir and être are interchangeable in this context, or if there are specific uses for each? 

"Note that, like for dates in general..." is incorrect English. It should be "Note that, as for dates in general..." or "Note that, like dates in general..."

Hi, could you explain the purpose of the word “à” in the following French lines please?

“if he lost a game that they were playing together.”

“s'il perdait à un jeu auquel ils étaient en train de jouer ensemble.”

“s'il perdait à un jeu auquel ils jouaient ensemble.”