PrepMyTEF Grammar Articles

Articles

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Articles are very short words that are placed before nouns. They give pieces of information about the noun : singular or plural, masculine or feminine.

  • le livre : masculine singular
  • les livres : masculine plural
  • la table : feminine singular
  • les tables : feminine plural

There are three kinds of articles : definite, indefinite and partitive.

Definite articles : le, la, les (= the)

They are placed before an object or a person that is clearly identified.

  • Le journal coûte 2 euros. / Je lis le journal.
    EN: The newspaper costs 2 euros. / I am reading the newspaper.

  • La vendeuse est compétente. / Je regarde la vendeuse.
    EN: The sales assistant is skilled. / I am looking at the sales assistant

  • Les élèves sont là. / Le professeur connaît les élèves.
    EN: The pupils are here. / The teacher knows the pupils.

They are also placed before a noun referring to a thing or a group of people considered as a whole, a generality.

  • Il aime le fromage. / Le fromage, c'est bon.
    EN: He likes cheese. / Cheese is good.

  • Tu pratiques la danse. / La danse est un sport.
    EN: You practice dancing. / Dancing is a sport.

  • Elle adore les enfants. / Les enfants sont mignons.
    EN: She loves kids. / Kids are cute.

Indefinite articles : un, une, des (= a, an)

They are placed before an object or a person that is not clearly identified.

  • Je mange un croissant.
    EN: I am eating a croissant.

  • Elle boit une tisane.
    EN: She is drinking an herbal tea.

  • Tu as des enfants.
    EN: You have children.

Differences between definite and indefinite articles

Le livre qui est sur la table est à moi.
EN: The book that is on the table is mine.
= We are talking about a specific book.

J’achète un livre à la librairie.
EN: I am buying a book at the bookstore.
= I don't exactly know which book.

Elle aime les enfants.
EN: She likes kids.
= We are talking about a group, an ensemble of people.

Elle a des enfants.
EN: She has kids.
= We don't exactly know how many children.

Partitive articles : du, de la, des (= some)

They are used to mention a small quantity of something, a piece of something, not a whole.

Je mange du pain. (de le = du)
EN: I am eating some bread.
= I am eating a little bit of bread.

Il mange du poulet.
EN: He is eating some chicken.
= He is eating a part of the chicken, not the entire chicken.

Il mange le poulet.
EN: He is eating the chicken.
= He is eating the entire chicken.

Elle boit de la bière.
EN: She is drinking some beer.
= She is drinking a small amount of beer, not all of the beer.

Articles and quantity : de, d'... (= of)

With a noun or an adverb that expresses a quantity, we always use the article de.

  • un litre de lait
    EN: a litre of milk.

  • une bouteille d'eau
    EN: a bottle of water

  • un paquet de cigarettes
    EN: a pack of cigarettes

  • un kilo d'oranges
    EN: a kilo of oranges

  • Il fait beaucoup de photos.
    EN: He takes many pictures.

  • Je bois un peu de vin.
    EN: I drink a bit of wine.

Articles before a vowel (a, e, i, o u) or a silent "h"

The articles le, la and de are written with an apostrophe when placed before a vowel. Le and la become l' and de becomes d'.

  • Je connais l'amie de Chantal.
    EN: I know Chantal's friend.

  • L'homme chante une chanson.
    EN: The man sings a song.

  • Tu as beaucoup d'argent.
    EN: You have a lot of money.

  • L'eau est bonne.
    EN: The water feels nice.

Contracted articles

  • de + le = du
  • à + le = au
  • de + les = des
  • à + les = aux
    •

    Je mange (de le) du pain.
    EN: I eat some bread.

    Tu achètes (de les) des fruits.
    EN: You buy some fruits.

    Elle va (à le) au café.
    EN: She goes to the coffee shop.

    Il vit (à les) aux Etats-Unis.
    EN: He lives in the United States.

    Summary table

    Singular Plural
    Masculine Feminine Masculine / Feminine
    Definite articles le (l') la (l') les
    Indefinite articles un une des
    Partitive articles du (de l') de la (de l') des
    Contracted articles au - du à la - de la aux - des
    Articles
    Direct and indirect pronouns
    Relative pronouns
    Comparative / Superlative
    [Mise à jour en cours] Les accords – règle générale
    Special agreements
    Linking words
    Connecting ideas
    [Mise à jour en cours] Les prépositions
    [Mise à jour en cours] La voix active / la voix passive
    Les verbes prépositionnels
    Les pronoms démonstratifs
    Les pronoms possessifs

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