French articles: definite, indefinite and partitive
By Thierry Gustin
Published
Updated
4 min read
Contents
French articles look easy until the famous du pain comes along. The problem is not learning the forms, but grasping one fundamental difference from English: French almost never leaves a noun without an article. Where English says "I eat bread", "I like chocolate" or "I have friends", French needs an article every time.
What are the French articles?
| Type | Masculine | Feminine | Before a vowel or silent h | Plural |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Definite | le | la | l' | les |
| Indefinite | un | une | un / une | des |
| Partitive | du | de la | de l' | des |
When do you use the definite article?
As in English, the definite article (le, la, l', les) introduces something known or unique: Le livre de Marie (Marie's book), la tour Eiffel. But French also uses it in places where English has no article at all:
- With likes, dislikes and general statements: J'aime le chocolat. (I like chocolate.) Les chats sont indépendants. (Cats are independent.)
- With days of the week, for a habit: Le lundi, je vais à la piscine (on Mondays, I go to the pool).
- With countries: la France, le Mexique, les États-Unis (but no article after en: en France).
It also combines with the prepositions à and de: à + le = au, à + les = aux, de + le = du, de + les = des. Je vais au cinéma. (I am going to the cinema.) Le livre du professeur. (The teacher's book.)
When do you use the indefinite article?
Un, une, des introduce something countable that has not been identified: J'ai un frère et deux sœurs. (I have a brother and two sisters.) Il y a des enfants dans le parc. (There are children in the park.) Watch out for des: English often uses no article ("there are children") or "some", but in French des is compulsory.
What is the partitive article?
The partitive (du, de la, de l') refers to an unspecified part of something uncountable: food, materials, qualities. It corresponds to "some" or "any" in English, or more often to no article at all.
- Je mange du pain. (I eat bread / I am eating some bread.)
- Tu veux de la confiture ? (Would you like some jam?)
- Il faut de l'eau et de la patience. (You need water and patience.)
- Elle fait du sport. (She does sport.)
The difference from the definite article is one of meaning: J'aime le café (I like coffee, in general) but Je bois du café (I drink coffee, an amount of it).
When do they become "de"?
This rule causes many mistakes. Indefinite and partitive articles become de (or d'):
- In the negative: J'ai un chien → Je n'ai pas de chien. (I don't have a dog.) Je bois du café → Je ne bois pas de café. (I don't drink coffee.)
- After an expression of quantity: beaucoup de livres, un peu de sucre, assez d'argent, un kilo de pommes.
But the definite article does not change: J'aime le café → Je n'aime pas le café. Nor does anything change with être: Ce n'est pas un problème.
Typical mistakes English speakers make
- Leaving out the article in general statements: ✗ J'aime chocolat → ✓ J'aime le chocolat. ✗ Chats sont indépendants → ✓ Les chats sont indépendants.
- Leaving out the partitive or the plural article: ✗ Je mange pain → ✓ Je mange du pain. ✗ J'ai frères → ✓ J'ai des frères.
- Using the definite article instead of the partitive: ✗ Je bois le vin à table (if you mean an amount) → ✓ Je bois du vin.
- Forgetting the contraction: ✗ à le cinéma → ✓ au cinéma.
- Getting the gender wrong: English nouns have no grammatical gender, so learn every French noun with its article. Endings can mislead you: le problème, le système, le lait, le sel are masculine; la mer, la couleur are feminine. Similar-looking words can be traps in other ways too: see French-English false friends.
The pronoun en replaces precisely these partitive complements: Du pain ? J'en veux. (Bread? I'd like some.) I explain this in the French pronouns y and en. To check the gender of a word, use a reference dictionary such as Le Robert.
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between "du" as a partitive and "du" as a contraction?
The form is the same, but not the meaning: Je mange du pain (partitive: an amount of bread) versus Le livre du professeur (contraction of de + le: the teacher's book).
Why do you say "en France" without an article?
With feminine countries and those starting with a vowel, en replaces à la: en France, en Espagne, en Iran. With masculine countries you use au: au Mexique, au Canada; and with plural ones, aux: aux États-Unis.
Is it "des bons amis" or "de bons amis"?
In careful French, des becomes de before an adjective: de bons amis. In spoken French you will hear des, but in the DELF it is better to use de.
Do days of the week take an article?
No article for a specific day (lundi, je vais au médecin: on Monday, I am going to the doctor's) and le for a habit (le lundi, je vais au sport: on Mondays, I go to the gym).
Read next
Passé composé vs imparfait: when to use each one
When to use the passé composé or the imparfait in French: a simple rule, clear examples and the typical mistakes English speakers make.
The French subjunctive: when to use it and how to form it
The French subjunctive for English speakers: how to form it, irregular verbs, when it is required and the classic traps (espérer, quand, penser).
The French pronouns y and en: when to use each one
When to use the French pronouns y and en: what they replace, where they go and the mistakes English speakers make, with examples and an exercise.