Articles

Articles (Les Articles)

In French, articles are used to indicate the gender and number of nouns, and they play a crucial role in sentence structure and meaning.

Definite Articles (Les Articles Définis)

Forms of Definite Articles

Article	Usage	Example	Translation
le	Masculine singular noun	le livre	the book
la	Feminine singular noun	la table	the table
l'	Singular noun starting with a vowel or silent h	l'école, l'homme	the school, the man
les	Plural nouns (both masculine and feminine)	les livres, les tables	the books, the tables

Usage of Definite Articles

To Refer to Specific or Identified Nouns

When talking about something specific or already known to the listener.

Examples:

French Sentence	Translation
Passe-moi la bouteille s'il te plaît.	Pass me the bottle, please.
Où est le chat ?	Where is the cat?

To Express General Truths or Concepts

• When referring to things in a general sense. Examples:

French Sentence	Translation
Les chats aiment le lait.	Cats like milk.
La patience est une vertu.	Patience is a virtue.

With Abstract Nouns

• When discussing abstract ideas or qualities. Examples:

French Sentence	Translation
L'amour est important.	Love is important.
La liberté est essentielle_._	Freedom is essential.

With Days of the Week to Indicate Regularity

• To express habitual actions. Examples:

French Sentence	Translation
Je joue au tennis le samedi.	I play tennis on Saturdays.
Nous avons un cours de français le lundi.	We have a French class on Mondays.

With Geographical Names

• Countries, Continents, Mountains, Rivers: Usually require a definite article. Examples:

French Sentence	Translation
La France est en Europe.	France is in Europe.
Le Nil est un long fleuve.	The Nile is a long river.

Exceptions: Some islands and cities do not take an article.

Examples:

French Sentence	Translation
Je vais à Paris.	I am going to Paris.
Il vit en Haïti.	He lives in Haiti.

With Body Parts

• Use the definite article instead of possessive adjectives when the possessor is clear. Examples:

French Sentence	Translation
Il a les yeux bleus.	He has blue eyes.
Je me suis lavé les mains_._	I washed my hands.

With Languages

• Use the definite article when the language is the subject or object of the sentence. Examples:

French Sentence	Translation
Le français est une belle langue.	French is a beautiful language.
J'étudie l'allemand.	I am studying German.

• Omit the article after the verb parler and prepositions en and de. Examples:

French Sentence	Translation
Je parle français.	I speak French.
Il lit en espagnol.	He reads in Spanish.

With Titles and Ranks

• Use the definite article before titles when talking about someone. Examples:

French Sentence	Translation
Le docteur Dupont est arrivé.	Doctor Dupont has arrived.
La reine Elizabeth est aimée.	Queen Elizabeth is loved.

Indefinite Articles (Les Articles Indéfinis)

Forms of Indefinite Articles

Article	Usage	Example	Translation
un	Masculine singular noun	un livre	a book
une	Feminine singular noun	une table	a table
des	Plural nouns (both masculine and feminine)	des livres, des tables	(some) books, (some) tables

Usage of Indefinite Articles

To Refer to Unspecific or Unidentified Nouns

• When talking about something non-specific or mentioned for the first time. Examples:

French Sentence	Translation
J'ai vu un chien dans la rue.	I saw a dog in the street.
Elle veut acheter une voiture.	She wants to buy a car.

To Indicate Quantity or Number

• Des is used for plural nouns, equivalent to "some" or omitted in English. Examples:

French Sentence	Translation
Il y a des livres sur la table.	There are (some) books on the table.
Nous avons des amis en France_._	We have friends in France.

Omission of Indefinite Articles

• With Professions, Nationalities, and Religions after 'être' Examples:

French Sentence	Translation
Il est médecin.	He is a doctor.
Elle est française.	She is French.
Ils sont catholiques.	They are Catholic.

• Exception: When the noun is qualified by an adjective, the article is used. Examples:

French Sentence	Translation
Il est un excellent médecin.	He is an excellent doctor.
Elle est une française talentueuse.	She is a talented Frenchwoman.

Partitive Articles (Les Articles Partitifs)

Forms of Partitive Articles

Article	Usage	Example	Translation
du	Masculine singular noun	du pain	some bread
de la	Feminine singular noun	de la viande	some meat
de l'	Singular noun starting with a vowel or silent h	de l'eau, de l'huile	some water, some oil
des	Plural nouns (both masculine and feminine)	des fruits, des légumes	some fruits, some vegetables

Usage of Partitive Articles

To Indicate an Indefinite Quantity of Something Uncountable

• Used with mass nouns or things that cannot be counted. Examples:

French Sentence	Translation
Je bois du café le matin.	I drink (some) coffee in the morning.
Elle mange de la soupe.	She eats (some) soup.
Nous achetons de l'eau minérale.	We buy (some) mineral water.

To Indicate a Part of a Whole

Examples:

French Sentence	Translation
Il prend du gâteau.	He takes (some) cake.
Vous voulez de la salade ?	Do you want (some) salad?

Usage in Affirmative and Negative Sentences

• Affirmative Sentences: Use partitive articles as shown above.
• Negative Sentences: Partitive articles change to de or d'. Examples:

Affirmative	Negative	Translation
Je mange du pain.	Je ne mange pas de pain.	I eat bread. / I don't eat bread.
Elle boit de l'eau.	Elle ne boit plus d'eau.	She drinks water. / She no longer drinks water.
Nous avons des amis ici.	Nous n'avons pas d'amis ici.	We have friends here. / We don't have friends here.

After Expressions of Quantity

• After expressions like beaucoup de, trop de, assez de, the partitive article becomes de or d'. Examples:

Expression	French Sentence	Translation
beaucoup de	Il boit beaucoup de café.	He drinks a lot of coffee.
trop de	Elle mange trop de chocolat.	She eats too much chocolate.
assez de	Nous avons assez d'eau.	We have enough water.

Partitive Articles with Adjectives Preceding Nouns

• When an adjective precedes a plural noun, des becomes de. Examples:

French Sentence	Translation
Elle a de beaux enfants.	She has beautiful children.
Nous achetons de nouveaux livres_._	We are buying new books.

Articles with Prepositions

Preposition 'Dans' with Articles

• 'Dans' (in) is used with definite articles to indicate specific locations. Examples:

French Sentence	Translation
Je suis dans la voiture.	I am in the car.
Les livres sont dans le sac.	The books are in the bag.
Il habite dans l'appartement.	He lives in the apartment.
Les enfants jouent dans les jardins.	The children play in the gardens.

Preposition 'En' Without Articles

• 'En' (in, to) is used without articles, often with countries, months, seasons, and transportation. With Countries and Regions
• For feminine countries and regions or masculine ones starting with a vowel. Examples:

French Sentence	Translation
Je vais en France.	I am going to France.
Elle habite en Allemagne.	She lives in Germany.
Nous voyageons en Europe.	We travel in Europe.

With Months and Seasons

Examples:

French Sentence	Translation
Il part en juillet.	He leaves in July.
Elle skie en hiver.	She skis in winter.

With Modes of Transportation

Examples:

French Sentence	Translation
Je vais au travail en bus.	I go to work by bus.
Ils voyagent en avion.	They travel by plane.

With Materials and Languages

Examples:

French Sentence	Translation
Cette robe est en soie.	This dress is made of silk.
Le livre est écrit en français.	The book is written in French.

Summary Tables

Definite Articles

Article	Usage	Example	Translation
le	Masculine singular noun	le chien	the dog
la	Feminine singular noun	la maison	the house
l'	Singular noun starting with a vowel or silent h	l'arbre, l'hôtel	the tree, the hotel
les	Plural nouns (both masculine and feminine)	les enfants, les fleurs	the children, the flowers

Indefinite Articles

Article	Usage	Example	Translation
un	Masculine singular noun	un stylo	a pen
une	Feminine singular noun	une chaise	a chair
des	Plural nouns (both masculine and feminine)	des ordinateurs, des tables	(some) computers, (some) tables

Partitive Articles (Les Articles Partitifs)

Gender/Number	Article	Example in French	English Translation
Masculine singular	du	du pain	some bread
Feminine singular	de la	de la soupe	some soup
Before a vowel or silent h	de l'	de l'eau, de l'honneur	some water, some honour
Plural (both genders)	des	des légumes, des fruits	some vegetables, some fruits

Additional Examples:

Masculine Singular:

• Je mange du fromage. (I am eating some cheese.)
• Il boit du vin. (He is drinking some wine.)

Feminine Singular:

• Elle prépare de la salade. (She is making some salad.)
• Nous avons de la patience. (We have some patience.)

Before a Vowel/Silent H:

• Il y a de l'huile dans la bouteille. (There is some oil in the bottle.)
• Elle a acheté de l'or. (She bought some gold.)

Plural (Both Genders):

• Ils ont des amis à Paris. (They have some friends in Paris.)
• Nous avons des idées. (We have some ideas.)