Ch 1 · Lesson 11French · Chapter 1 · Lesson 11 · Grammar primer
Du, de la, des: the article English drops
Some bread is : wherever English could say some, French needs , or . is never French.
The short version
The article English drops but French demands
.
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French has a third article system English lacks: the partitive , , l', , marking an unspecified amount. is I eat bread. is not a sentence. When in doubt, put the article in; French over-articulates by English standards.
The partitive article: du, de la, des
This is the one English speakers miss. The partitive marks an unspecified amount of something you do not count: food, drink, money, qualities. Wherever English could add some without changing the meaning, French needs it.
.- I'm eating (some) bread..- There's (some) meat..- It takes patience..- I'm eating.
One noun, three articles, three meanings:
| French | English |
|---|---|
. | I'm eating (some) bread. |
. | I'm eating the bread (that one). |
. | I'm eating a (whole) loaf. |
Offering what is on the table, you ask about an amount, not a count: Tu veux du pain ? Du for masculine, de la for feminine, de l' before a vowel, des for plural.
is never French. The partitives and de guide goes further.
Going further: The three systems at a glance and the rest of the guide, when you want them. This lesson does not need them.
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Lesson 11 of 14 in this chapter