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French grammar Part of Chapter 1

CEFR A1-A2

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French Articles: Definite, Indefinite and Partitive Chart

By Michael McGettrickUpdated 11 October 2026

French has three kinds of article: definite (the), indefinite (a, some) and partitive (some of something you cannot count). Almost every noun needs one, often where English has none, and the article matches the noun's gender and number.

Quick check

Three quick questions on what you have just read. The full practice is further down.

Pick the right one

0/3

Choose the definite article for each noun. Use l' before a vowel sound.

  1. livre

  2. table

  3. enfants

The three systems at a glance

The whole system on one screen. Read across a row for one meaning, down a column for one gender.

masculinefemininepluralthe form that changesWhat do the colours mean?
TypeMasculineFemininePlural
Definite
Indefinite
Partitive

Before a vowel sound, and become l', and and become l' (see elision, below).

Each row answers a different question:

RowMeansExample
Definitethe one we know - the book
Indefiniteone of a kind - a table
Partitivesome, uncounted - some bread

Which column you are in depends on the noun's gender, which is why French noun gender comes with every new word: learn and , never bare .

The definite article: le, la, les

Use it for a specific thing the listener can identify, and for a whole category (more on that below).

  • - the book
  • - the table
  • - the children
  • . - The book is on the table.

The plural serves both genders: (the books), (the tables).

The indefinite article: un, une, des

Use it for one of a kind, not a particular one.

  • - a book
  • - a house
  • . - I have (some) books.
On a table, a single smiling apple sits on a plate on the left, and three smiling apples share a plate on the right.

One apple is une pomme; more than one is des pommes, (some) apples. English drops the some; French never drops des.

English often drops some in the plural; French keeps . I have books is , never .

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:

FrenchEnglish
.I'm eating (some) bread.
.I'm eating the bread (that one).
.I'm eating a (whole) loaf.
A table with a pink scalloped tablecloth, set with a loaf of bread, a wedge of cheese with holes, a jug of water, a bottle of orange juice, a bowl of fruit and a cake with a cherry on top, several of them smiling.

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.

Elision: le and la become l' before a vowel sound

Before a vowel or a silent h, and lose their vowel. So do and , which become l'.

la + eau becomes l'eau (the water)
Without elisionWith elisionEnglish
la eauthe water
le hommethe man
le arbrethe tree
du argent (some) money

Elision is compulsory: is wrong every time. The indefinite never elides: (a friend), (a female friend). Because l' hides the gender, note it when you learn the word: is feminine, masculine.

The negation rule: un, une, du, de la and des become de

After a negation, the indefinite and partitive articles all become (' before a vowel):

YesNoEnglish
. .I don't have a dog.
. .I don't eat bread.
. .He has no friends.

Three cases keep the article:

  • The definite stays: . - I don't see the dog.
  • After : . - It's not a dog.
  • A contrast or ... (only): , . - It's not wine, it's water. . - I only eat bread.

The French negation guide covers the rest of ....

Contractions: au and du with prepositions

When (to, at) or (of, from) meets or , the two fuse into one word.

Je vais au cinéma. I'm going to the cinema.
PiecesBecomesExample
à + . - to the cinema
à + . - to the children
+ - the teacher's book
+ - the children's room

Only and contract: . (I'm going to the beach) and . (I'm going back to school) stay as they are. This (of the) looks like the partitive but is a different job; the sentence tells you which.

When French uses an article and English doesn't

CaseFrenchEnglish
Whole category .I like dogs.
Abstract noun .Patience is a virtue.
Habit, weekday , .On Mondays I do sport.
Language .I like French.
Body part .He has blue eyes.
Country France.I'm visiting France.

A single day drops the article: , . - On Monday I'm leaving.

When French drops the article

CaseFrenchEnglish
Quantity + a lot of bread
After without water
Set .I'm hungry.
Bare job after .He's a doctor.

With an adjective, the job takes an article and becomes : . - He's a good doctor.

Common mistakes English speakers make

WrongRightWhy
. .Some bread needs
. . becomes after
. .A category takes
. .No article on a bare job
. .à + is always

What to do next

  1. Learn every new noun with its article: , , (feminine).
  2. Say some under your breath: if it fits, use , or .
  3. Drill the -or- choice on the French noun gender game.

Practise: test yourself

Pick the right one

0/8

Choose the definite article for each noun. Use l' before a vowel sound.

  1. livre

  2. table

  3. enfants

  4. eau

  5. homme

  6. voiture

  7. chien

  8. école

Sort into groups

0/7

Some of it: which partitive goes in front of each noun?

Tap a word, then the group it belongs in.

Spot the mistake

0/5

Tap the mistake English speakers make.

Fill in the blank

0/6

Fill the gap with au, aux, du or des where French contracts, or à la / à l' where it does not.

  1. Je vais cinéma. (à + le) (à + le)

  2. Je parle enfants. (à + les) (à + les)

  3. C'est le livre professeur. (de + le) (de + le)

  4. Je vais plage. (à + la) (only le and les contract)

  5. Il rentre école. (à + l') (l' never contracts)

  6. Ce sont les livres enfants. (de + les) (de + les)

Translation drill

0/5

Translate into French, with the article French requires.

  1. I like dogs.

  2. I am eating (some) bread.

  3. I do not have a dog.

  4. I am drinking (some) water.

  5. I am going to school.

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Practice worksheets and infographics

Practice worksheets with answer keys built in, plus infographic and listicle formats. Open any one to view, print or save.

Infographics

  1. Key points infographic
  2. The three systems at a glance
  3. The three systems at a glance
  4. The partitive article: du, de la, des
  5. Elision: le and la become l' before a vowel sound
  6. The negation rule: un, une, du, de la and des become de
  7. Contractions: au and du with prepositions
  8. When French uses an article and English doesn't
  9. When French drops the article
  10. Common mistakes English speakers make

Other formats

  1. Listicle

More grammar on this course

Frequently asked questions

When do I use , , or in French?
These are the partitive articles, for an unspecified amount of something you cannot count. Use before a masculine noun ( ), before a feminine noun ( ), and for the plural ( ). Before a vowel or silent h, both and become l' ( ).
What is the difference between ' ' and ' '?
means I am eating (some) bread, an unspecified amount. means I am eating the bread, a specific loaf the listener knows about. Dropping the article ( ) is always wrong; French needs one or the other.
Why do the French say ' ' and not ' '?
General statements about a whole class take the definite article in French. means I like dogs, dogs as a category. The same goes for abstract nouns and languages: (patience is a virtue), (I like French).
What happens to articles after '... ' in French?
After a negation, , , , and become plain (d' before a vowel): becomes . Three cases keep the article: the definite , , ( ); ( ); and a contrast or ... ( , ; ).
When does '' or '' become 'l'' in French?
Before a vowel sound or a silent h: , , . and do the same: . Elision is compulsory: and are always wrong. and never elide.
Why is it ' ' and not 'à ' in French?
French contracts à and with and : à + = ( ), à + = ( ), + = ( ), + = . The contractions are compulsory, and only and contract: à and à stay as they are.