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Les articles

 

 

• There are 3 types of articles in French: definite, indefinite, and partitive. These have to English translation of the, a/an, and some.

 

Singular                                           Plural

                                    Masculine       Feminine                    Masculine       Feminine

 

Definite article:          le (l’)               la (l’)                                          Les

 

Indefinite article:      un                   une                                             Des

 

Partitive article:         du (de l’)        de la (de l’)

 

 

Definite Article

 

• Definite articles precede nouns that are used in a very specific sense. This is similar to English usage.

 

Ex. La voiture qu’elle achète est neuve. (The car she is buying is new.)

 

• Definite articles also precede nouns used in a general sense. In English, the definite article is omitted in this case.

 

Ex. L’essence coûte trop cher en France. (Gas costs too much in France.)

 

• Definite articles are used before abstract nouns.

 

Ex. La patience est très utile pendant les heures de pointe. (Patience is very useful during rush hour.)

 

• Definite articles are used before the names of the seasons.

 

Ex. Le printemps est la meilleure saison pour faire du vélo.

 

• Definite articles are used before the days of the week to indicate habitual action.

 

Ex. Elle prend le bus le mardi matin et le jeudi après-midi.

• Definite articles are used before names that denote nationality before the names of countries or famous monuments.

 

Ex. Les Français font rarement du covoiturage. (The French rarely carpool.)

 

• Definite articles are used before names of disciplines and languages, except when the language follows the verb parler.

 

Ex. Il parle couramment anglais, et il comprend le français. (He speaks English fluently, and he understands French.)

 

 

Indefinite Articles

 

• Indefinite articles are used before the names of indeterminate people and things, much the same way as in English.

 

Ex. Il y a une station dans la prochaine rue. (There is a station on the next street.)

 

 

• When the verb is negative, the indefinite article is replaced by de.

 

Ex. Vous n’avez pas de voiture. (You don’t have a car.)

 

• If the negative verb is être, the indefinite article does not change.

 

Ex. Ce n’est pas une voiture d’occasion. (It isn’t a used car.)

 

• The plural indefinite article des has almost the same meaning as the plural partitive article des, they both can be translated as some.

 

Ex. Il y a des casques dans le placard. (There are some helmets in the closet.)

 

• Note: Before the adjective autres, the plural indefinite (or partitive) articles des changes to d’.

 

Ex. J’ai d’autres voisins qui font toujours du covoiturage.  (I have other neighbors who always carpool.)

 

 

 

Partitive Articles

 

• Partitive articles indicate a part of something, an unspecified amount or quantity. They are usually used with nouns referring to things that can’t be counted.

 

Ex. Il me faut de l’argent pour acheter un velo. (I need some money to buy a bike.)

 

• When the verb is negative, the partitive articles du, de la, de l’, and des change to de.

 

Ex. Tu n’as pas de rollers? (You don’t have skates?)

 

• When a plural adjective precedes the noun, the partitive article des changes to de.

 

Ex. Les agents d’entretien du service Velib se déplacent dans de petits véhicules électriques.

 

Articles with expressions of quantity

 

• Following expressions of quantity (beaucoup, trop, peu, assez, autant, plus, moins, un verre, une bouteille, un litre, un kilo, etc.) du, de la, de l’, and des change to de.

 

Ex. Trop de cyclistes ne portent pas de casque. (Too many cyclists don’t wear helmets.)

 

• Exception: This change doesn’t occur following la plupart, bien, and encore.

 

Ex. Bien des jeunes conduisent trop vite. (A lot of young people drive too fast.)

 

• When the expression avoir besoin de is followed by a noun used in a general sense, the definite articles le, la, l’, and les are not used.

 

Ex. J’ai besoin d’argent pour payer l’essence. (I need money to pay for the gas.)

 

• The definite article is added, however, if the noun is specific.

 

Ex. J’ai besoin de l’argent que mon père m’a promis pour acheter de l’essence. (I need the money my father promised me in order to buy gas.)