French Phrase
Ils viennent des plantes.
Meaning
Literally, ‘They come from the plants.’ It is used to state that something originates or is produced by plants, e.g., a natural ingredient, a scent, or a group of insects that emerge from vegetation.
When to use
Use this sentence when you want to explain the botanical origin of a product, a natural phenomenon, or a group of living beings that emerge from plants. It works well in scientific, culinary, or everyday contexts where the source is important.
✦Grammar Breakdown
Ilsviennentdesplantes
Subject pronoun (Ils)
Third‑person plural pronoun meaning 'they' (masculine or mixed gender).
Verb venir (present)
‘viennent’ is the 3rd‑person plural present of venir – ‘to come’.
Preposition + article (des)
‘des’ is the contraction of ‘de + les’, meaning ‘from the’ or ‘of the’.
Noun (plantes)
Plural noun meaning ‘plants’; the article ‘les’ is hidden inside ‘des’.
🗨In Conversation
D'où vient ce parfum si frais?
Where does this fresh perfume come from?
Ils viennent des plantes.
They come from the plants.
✕Common Mistakes
Ils viennent de plantes.
Missing the definite article; ‘des’ (de + les) is required before a plural noun.
Il vient des plantes.
Verb must agree with the plural subject; ‘viennent’ not ‘vient’.
Ils viennent de la plante.
Singular ‘plante’ changes the meaning to ‘from the plant (singular)’, which is rarely intended here.
↔Alternatives
Ils proviennent des plantes.
They originate from the plants.
Ils sont issus des plantes.
They are derived from the plants.
Ces composés viennent des plantes.
These compounds come from the plants.
Cultural Tip
In French, ‘venir de’ can express both recent past actions (e.g., ‘Je viens de manger’) and origin (e.g., ‘Il vient de Paris’). When the complement is a noun, the article is required – ‘des plantes’, not ‘de plantes’. Dropping the article sounds ungrammatical and is a common mistake for learners.