# FR: dans le Midi / au Midi



## Charlie51

If you want to say, "I'm going to the South of France", I think you say,
"Je vais dans le Midi".

Can you also say, "Je vais au Midi"?

Merci à l'avance!


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## youpipanda

No, you can only say "je vais dans le midi" or "je vais dans le sud"


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## Charlie51

Merci beaucoup, youpipanda!

What would "Je vais au Midi" mean?


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## broglet

Charlie51 said:


> Merci beaucoup, youpipanda!
> 
> What would "Je vais au Midi" mean?


It would mean that you had used the wrong preposition


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## Zahikiel

That have no sense in French ;-)


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## Charlie51

Merci beaucoup, broglet and Zahikel!

You can say, "Je vais au sud de la France", though? What does this mean?


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## Zahikiel

On dirait plutôt "je vais au sud" d'une ville ou d'une région. Mais avec un pays ça fait bizarre =/


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## Charlie51

Merci beaucoup encore une fois, Zahikiel!


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## CapnPrep

Charlie51 said:


> What would "Je vais au Midi" mean?


This could mean that you are going to a restaurant/café/shop called "Le Midi" or "Au Midi". With a lowercase ‹m› it could be an old-fashioned way of saying that you are going south (direction), or that you are going to lunch. See the following thread for an example:
*au midi*

Actually, for some speakers, "Je vais au Midi" can mean the same thing as "Je vais dans le Midi", while other speakers (like youpipanda, broglet, and Zahikel), as well as most grammar books, consider this to be wrong, or a poor/confusing choice of words.



			
				Le bon usage said:
			
		

> Il serait préférable de distinguer, pour la clarté du message : _La Belgique est *au nord* de la France et Dunkerque est *dans le Nord*_ […]_ de la France_. Mais _à_ empiète souvent sur _dans_ : _En Gaule, derrière _a_, la vocalisation apparaît de bonne heure _*au Midi* […] _et *au Nord*_





Charlie51 said:


> You can say, "Je vais au sud de la France", though? What does this mean?


This means either the same thing as "dans le sud de la France" (again, considered incorrect by many), or it means that you are going to Spain, for example.


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## Charlie51

Merci beaucoup, CapnPrep! Je comprends maintenant.


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## broglet

It might also be worth noting that 'le Midi' is not universally understood by francophones  - particularly those who are not French natives.


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## Charlie51

Merci beaucoup encore une fois, broglet!


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## geostan

*Je vais au sud de la France* would mean that you were going, for example, to Spain.


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## Charlie51

Merci beaucoup, geostan!


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