Learn French articles in 15 minutes! Articles are these little words before a noun. In French, they are different depending on the gender and number of the noun.
We have 3 different types of French articles:
– Indefinite French articles – Un Une Des
– Definite French articles – Le La Les
– Partitive French articles – Du De la Des
Let’s see how and when to use them. Don’t forget to download your free PDF!
French nouns have genders. They are either masculine or feminine. They are also influenced by numbers. Knowing the gender of each word is important when learning French. When learning new vocabulary, make sure to learn the article with the noun always to remember the gender.
We use them to talk about unspecified things or people. They translate to a, an, and some in English.
SINGULAR | |
Masculine | Feminine |
Un | Une |
Un chien | Une pomme |
Un oiseau | Une orange |
PLURAL | |
Masculine | Feminine |
Des some/any | Des |
Des chiens dogs | Des pommes apples |
Des oiseaux birds | Des oranges |
J’ai un chien.
I have a dog.
Elle mange une pomme.
She is eating an apple.
Il y a des oiseaux dans le jardin.
There are birds in the yard.
The articles un – une – des don’t change if the following noun starts with a vowel or a consonant. This is why I always recommend using un and une when learning new vocabulary because you can see the gender clearly when you study.
Definite articles, just like indefinite articles, change depending on whether the noun is masculine, feminine, singular, or plural.
We use definite articles to talk about specific things or people. They translate to the in English.
SINGULAR | |
Masculine | Feminine |
Le / L’ the | La / L’ the |
Le chien the dog | La pomme the apple |
L’oiseau the bird | L’orange |
PLURAL | |
Masculine | Feminine |
Les some/any | Les |
Les chiens the dogs | Les pommes the apples |
Les oiseaux the birds | Les oranges |
When a word starts with a vowel or a silent h, LE and LA become L’.
Le chien dort.
The dog is sleeping.
La pomme est sur la table.
The apple is on the table.
J’écoute les oiseaux chanter.
I listen to the birds sing.
But sometimes they are used differently:
Le temps passe vite.
Time flies. (Literally, time passes fast)
Les chiens aiment jouer à la balle.
Dogs love to play with balls.
On étudie le français.
We study French.
Added note:
Je parle français / Je parle le français = I speak French.
In this case, both are fine.
L’Afrique est un continent.
Africa is a continent.
Cela coûte 10 dollars le kilo.
It costs 10 dollars per kilo.
Elle travaille le lundi.
She works on Mondays.
Je me brosse les cheveux.
I am brushing my hair.
We use partitive articles to talk about something without specifying the quantity. They translate to some.
Partitive articles have specific forms for gender and number.
Masculine Singular
Du (de + le) + masculine noun starting with a consonant:
Du fromage – some cheese
Du pain – some bread
Feminine Singular
De la + feminine noun starting with a consonant:
De la farine – some flour
De la viande – some meat
Masculine & Feminine Singular
De l’ + masculine or feminine noun starting with a vowel or a silent h:
De l’eau (f) – some water
De l’ail (m) – some garlic
Plural
Des (de + les) + masculine or feminine noun but plural:
Des idées (f) – some ideas
Des livres (m) – some books
J’ai acheté des livres.
I bought some books.
Je mange du fromage tous les jours.
I eat cheese every day.
Elle a des idées.
She has ideas.
Note:
Partitive articles become de/d’ in negative sentences.
Je n’ai pas acheté de livres.
I didn’t buy any books.
Je ne mange pas de fromage tous les jours.
I don’t eat cheese every day.
Elle n’a pas d’idées.
She has no ideas.
And just like that, All the French Articles You Need to Know have no more secrets for you! Don’t hesitate to comment on this post if you have a question.
If you prefer to watch a video lesson, you can watch the video All the French Articles You Need to Know.
3 Responses
Thanks a bunch. You’re second to none
i had problems to understand les article partitifs. but finally i got it by your descriptions.
i just want to say thank you so much best teacher.
Jasmine I totally missed your comment! I am so sorry! I am glad my lesson helped you 🙂