The definite article is used to present a noun as known, unique, or already identified in discourse. In French, it agrees with the gender and number of the noun and takes the forms le, la, l’ and les. It also helps express generality, habit, certain proper nouns and several fixed uses of the noun. To compare its uses with other determiners, it can be related to the [Indefinite Articles] and the [Partitive Article].

The form of the definite article depends on the gender and number of the noun it accompanies. Le corresponds to a masculine singular noun, la to a feminine singular noun, l’ appears before a vowel or mute h, and les mark the plural. This opposition of forms shows the obligatory agreement between the article and the noun.

IdéeIdea.	ExempleExample.
Masculin singulierMasculine singular.	le livrethe book.
Féminin singulierFeminine singular.	la tablethe table.
Devant voyelleBefore a vowel.	l’écolethe school.
PlurielPlural.	les amisthe friends.

The definite article always agrees in gender and number with the noun it determines. When the noun changes gender or becomes plural, the article changes as well. This agreement is visible directly in phrases like la petite maison or les grands arbres.

IdéeIdea.	ExempleExample.
Accord en genreGender agreement.	la maisonthe house.
Accord au masculinMasculine agreement.	le jardinthe garden.
Accord au plurielPlural agreement.	les fenêtresthe windows.
Accord avec l’adjectifAgreement with the adjective.	les belles fleursthe beautiful flowers.

Before a vowel or a mute h, le and la become l’. This form avoids the difficult contact between two vowels and keeps the same grammatical role. We thus find l’homme, l’amie and l’hôpital. Elision is indispensable in standard written French forms.

IdéeIdea.	ExempleExample.
Devant voyelleBefore a vowel.	l’arbrethe tree.
Devant h muetBefore a mute h.	l’hôtelthe hotel.
Devant nom fémininBefore a feminine noun.	l’amiethe female friend.
Devant nom masculinBefore a masculine noun.	l’hommethe man.

With the prepositions à and de, the definite article often contracts into a single form. À + le becomes au, À + les becomes aux, de + le becomes du and de + les becomes des. These forms are obligatory in everyday usage and appear before the determinate noun. They are very important for distinguishing values of place, origin and relation.

IdéeIdea.	ExempleExample.
à + leto the.	au cinémato the cinema.
à + lesto the.	aux Étatsto the United States.
de + leof the.	du painsome bread.
de + lesde + les (des).	des amissome friends.

The definite article can express a general reality rather than a known object. With nouns of material, pleasure or abstract idea, it allows speaking of an entire category, as in I like chocolate. This usage often resembles that of the partitive article, especially when the quantity is not specified, which makes the comparison with the [Partitive Article] useful.

IdéeIdea.	ExempleExample.
GénéralitéGenerality.	le chocolatthe chocolate.
CatégorieCategory.	la musiquethe music.
Réalité abstraiteAbstract reality.	la libertéfreedom.
Sens largeBroad sense.	le savoirknowledge.

The definite article with the day of the week indicates a habit or regular repetition. It signals that an action recurs at a fixed interval rather than taking place on a single precise day. So we say I work on Mondays to mark regularity.

IdéeIdea.	ExempleExample.
HabitudeHabit.	le lundiMonday.
RépétitionRepetition.	le soirthe evening.
RégularitéRegularity.	le matinthe morning.
RythmeRhythm.	le vendrediFriday.

The definite article often accompanies names of languages and several titles. We say le français for the language and le roi or la reine for the title. This use is distinct from certain proper nouns that do not take an article, and one must also consider historical or regional usages for geographic names.

IdéeIdea.	ExempleExample.
LangueLanguage.	le françaisFrench.
Titre masculinMasculine title.	le roithe king.
Titre fémininFeminine title.	la reinethe queen.
Nom géographiqueGeographic name.	la FranceFrance.

With pronominal verbs, the definite article is often used before body parts. We say Elle se lave les mains, because the hands are understood as specified parts of the subject's body. The definite article is also used before superlatives and ordinals, such as the best student or the first. These uses show that the article can mark a part, a hierarchy or a rank.

IdéeIdea.	ExempleExample.
Partie du corpsPart of the body.	les mainsthe hands.
SuperlatifSuperlative.	le meilleur élèvethe best student.
1️⃣ Ordinal1st ordinal.	le premierthe first.
Verbe pronominalPronominal verb.	se laver les mainsto wash one’s hands.

Some proper nouns take the definite article, especially for countries, cities or places known by usage. Other proper nouns do not take it, like Paris, and certain forms vary according to history or region. The definite article in proper names thus belongs to lexical usage rather than a completely uniform rule. In informal or regional French, one can also hear the article before given names, such as le Jean, but this usage remains marked.

RégionRegion.	Mot ou expressionWord or expression.	Définition régionaleRegional usage.	ExempleExample.
Usage généralGeneral usage.	la FranceFrance.	Nom de pays employé avec l’article défini.Country name used with the definite article.	La France est connue, dit la carte.France is known, says the map.
Usage généralGeneral usage.	Le CaireCairo.	Nom de ville employé avec l’article défini.City name used with the definite article.	Le Caire s’écrit ici, dit le guide.Cairo is written here, says the guide.
Usage généralGeneral usage.	ParisParis.	Nom de ville sans article.City name without article.	Paris brille, dit le voyageur.Paris shines, says the traveler.
RégionalRegional.	le JeanJean.	Prénom précédé d’un article dans certains parlers.A first name preceded by an article in certain dialects.	Le Jean arrive, dit la famille.Jean arrives, says the family.

The definite article presents the noun as identified, shared or unique, and it takes the forms le, la, l’ and les according to gender and number. It contracts with à and de, it elides before a vowel or mute h, and it also serves to express generality, habit, certain titles, certain parts of the body and rank uses. Its usages with proper nouns and regional or familiar uses show that the grammar of the article depends on both form and usage.