French Articles Made Easy
Le, La, Les, Un, Une, Du, De La (and When to Use De)
The Six Types of French Articles
French articles are mandatory. Unlike English, where you can often omit "a" or "the," nearly every noun in French must be preceded by an article that matches its **gender** (masculine/feminine) and **number** (singular/plural).
1. Definite Articles (The) - Le, La, L', Les
| Article | Meaning | Gender/Number | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| Le | The | Singular Masculine | *Le* livre (The book) |
| La | The | Singular Feminine | *La* chaise (The chair) |
| L' | The | Singular (Vowel/Mute H) | *L'* ami (The friend), *L'* heure (The hour) |
| Les | The | Plural (Masc or Fem) | *Les* voitures (The cars) |
Use When: Talking about something specific, something already known, or referring to a noun in a general, all-encompassing sense (e.g., *J'aime les pommes.* - I like apples in general).
2. Indefinite Articles (A, An, Some) - Un, Une, Des
| Article | Meaning | Gender/Number | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| Un | A, An | Singular Masculine | *Un* chien (A dog) |
| Une | A, An | Singular Feminine | *Une* idée (An idea) |
| Des | Some | Plural (Masc or Fem) | *Des* fleurs (Some flowers) |
Use When: Talking about an object that is non-specific, unknown, or when counting "one" of something.
3. Partitive Articles (Some) - Du, De la, De l'
| Article | Meaning | Gender/Number | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| Du (de + le) | Some | Singular Masculine (uncountable) | *Du* pain (Some bread) |
| De la | Some | Singular Feminine (uncountable) | *De la* confiture (Some jam) |
| De l' | Some | Singular (vowel/mute H, uncountable) | *De l'* eau (Some water) |
Use When: Referring to an **uncountable** portion or quantity of something (food, liquids, emotions, substances).
🛑 The Special Case: When to Use De or D'
The preposition **de** (of/from) is also used as a replacement for indefinite and partitive articles in two main situations:
Rule 1: Negation
When a sentence with an indefinite or partitive article is made negative (usually with *ne... pas*), the article changes to **de** (or **d'** before a vowel).
- Affirmative: *J'ai **des** amis.* (I have some friends.)
- Negative: *Je n'ai **pas d'** amis.* (I do not have any friends.)
- Affirmative: *Elle boit **du** vin.* (She drinks some wine.)
- Negative: *Elle ne boit **pas de** vin.* (She does not drink any wine.)
(Exception: This rule is ignored when the verb is *ĂŞtre*.)
Rule 2: Expressions of Quantity
After most adverbial expressions of quantity, the article is replaced by **de** (or **d'**).
- *Beaucoup **de** livres* (A lot of books)
- *Un peu **de** chance* (A little luck)
- *Une bouteille **d'** eau* (A bottle of water)
- *Trop **de** sucre* (Too much sugar)
(Exception: *Bien* (many/much) often takes the partitive or definite article: *bien des gens*).
Article Placement Worksheet Generator
Create customized practice worksheets focusing on definite, indefinite, partitive articles, and the rules for using **de**.
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