French has three different definite articles, which tell you that the noun is masculine, feminine, or plural. If the noun is singular, the article is le (for masculine nouns) or la (for feminine nouns). If the noun is plural, the article is les no matter what gender the noun is.
What are examples of articles in French?
A definite article is specific, it defines the number and gender of the noun it corresponds to. In English, the only definite article is the, whereas in French there are four of them: la, le, l’ and les. Please note, le or la change to l’ before a noun beginning in a vowel or an h (the h is silent in French).
What are the 3 French articles?
French has three articles: a definite article, corresponding in many cases to English the; an indefinite article, corresponding to English a/an; and a partitive article, used roughly like some in English.
What are the four articles in French?
The French definite article has four forms:
- Le (masculine singular),
- La (feminine singular),
- L’ (followed by a vowel),
- Les (plural).
What is an article in French grammar?
In French, nouns are almost always preceded by an article or a determiner. This indicates the gender of the noun (masculine or feminine) and its number (singular or plural). There are two types of articles: definite articles (articles définis) (le, la, les) and indefinite articles (article indéfinis) (un, une, des).
What are French indefinite articles?
Indefinite articles
The indefinite articles are un (masculine singular), une (feminine singular), and des (masculine, feminine plural). The indefinite article agrees in number and (for the singular forms) in gender with the nouns they modify (see Nouns): un vase. une revue. des tomates.
How do you know when to use definite or indefinite articles in French?
The French definite articles are le for masculine nouns, la for feminine nouns, or l’ when the noun begins with a vowel. Les is used for plural nouns. The French indefinite articles are une for feminine nouns, un for masculine nouns, and des for plural nouns.
How do you know when to use DES or LES in French?
Grammar jargon: Les is the plural definite article; Des is the plural indefinite article. These articles are used with countable nouns (things you can count, like dogs, as opposed to mass nouns for things like milk which use partitive articles instead.)
What articles do you use for food in French?
The partitive article refers to an unspecified quantity of food, liquid, or some other uncountable noun.
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French partitive articles
- Masculine: du.
- Feminine: de la.
- Contracted (m or f in front of vowel or mute h): de l’
What are article Partitifs in French?
There are four types of partitive article in French, du, de la, de l’, and des, used to specify unknown quantities. These correspond to ‘some’ or ‘any’, which are often omitted in English. Choosing which one to use depends on the gender, number and first letter of the noun that follows.
What are contracted articles in French give 2 examples?
French Contracted Article
- à + le = au.
- à + les = aux.
- de + le = du.
- de + les = des.