French Articles
Definite, indefinite, and partitive articles
Articles overview
Many languages have no articles, so the biggest pitfall isn't memorizing the forms — it's leaving out an article where French requires one, or not knowing which one to pick among "general, specific, uncountable."
💡 Grab the intuition: a French noun almost always needs an article. Choose in three steps: a specific thing (or a whole category) → definite article le/la/les; a countable "a / an / some" → indefinite article un/une/des; an uncountable "some" → partitive article du/de la.
Definite articles (Articles définis)
Used to point to a specific person or thing, or to a whole category.
| Masculine | Feminine | Plural | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Before a consonant | le | la | les |
| Before a vowel/h | l' | l' | les |
- le garçon (the boy) → les garçons
- la fille (the girl) → les filles
- l'école (the school) → les écoles
Indefinite articles (Articles indéfinis)
Used for something general — the equivalent of English a/an/some.
| Masculine | Feminine | Plural |
|---|---|---|
| un | une | des |
- un livre (a book)
- une pomme (an apple)
- des amis (some friends)
In a negative sentence: un/une/des → de/d'
- J'ai des amis. → Je n'ai pas d'amis.
Partitive articles (Articles partitifs)
Express "some" of an uncountable noun.
| Masculine | Feminine | Before a vowel |
|---|---|---|
| du | de la | de l' |
- du pain (some bread)
- de la confiture (some jam)
- de l'eau (some water)
In a negative sentence: du/de la/de l' → de/d'
- Je bois du café. → Je ne bois pas de café.
Contracted articles (Articles contractés)
The definite article merged with the preposition à or de:
| Preposition + article | Result | Example |
|---|---|---|
| à + le | au | Je vais au cinéma. |
| à + les | aux | Je parle aux étudiants. |
| de + le | du | Je viens du marché. |
| de + les | des | C'est la fin des vacances. |
Note: à + la / à + l' / de + la / de + l' do not contract.
⚠️ The trickiest point: "liking coffee" takes le, "drinking coffee" takes du
For one and the same café, which article goes in front depends entirely on the verb. aimer / adorer / préférer / détester are about liking or disliking a "whole category" → use the definite article; manger / boire / acheter / prendre are about consuming "a portion" → use the partitive article.
| General category → definite | Taking a portion → partitive/indefinite |
|---|---|
| J'aime le café (I like coffee) | Je bois du café (I'm having some coffee) |
| Elle adore la musique (she loves music) | Elle écoute de la musique (she's listening to some music) |
| Je déteste les légumes (I hate vegetables) | Je mange des légumes (I eat some vegetables) |
🔑 The test: talking about "the whole kind" (like/hate) → definite article; talking about "some / a bit" (eat/drink/buy) → partitive article.
Quick-reference table
| Type | Masc. sing. | Fem. sing. | Plural | After negation |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Definite | le/l' | la/l' | les | unchanged |
| Indefinite | un | une | des | de/d' |
| Partitive | du/de l' | de la/de l' | — | de/d' |