Indefinite Articles
Indefinite articles introduce nouns when you mention them for the first time or when they are not specific. They agree in gender and number with the noun they modify.
Indefinite Articles
The basic indefinite articles are un, une, and des, used for masculine singular, feminine singular, and plural nouns respectively.
| French Word(s) | English Word(s) |
|---|---|
| un chien | a dog (masc) |
| une chatte | a cat (fem) |
| des chiens | some dogs |
| French Example | English Translation |
|---|---|
| đ¶ Jâai adoptĂ© un chien ce week-end. | I adopted a dog this weekend. |
| đ± Elle a pris un chat dans la rue. | She took in a cat from the street. |
| đ° Ils ont trouvĂ© un lapin dans le parc. | They found a rabbit in the park. |
| đŠ Nous avons accueilli un perroquet blessĂ©. | We welcomed an injured parrot. |
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Partitive Articles
Partitive articles express an unspecified quantity of something, often food, drink, or matter you cannot count easily. They are formed with de + the definite article.
| French Word(s) | English Word(s) |
|---|---|
| du pain | some bread (masc) |
| de la confiture | some jam (fem) |
| de l'eau | some water (before vowel) |
| des céréales | some cereals (pl) |
| French Example | English Translation |
|---|---|
| đ„ Jâai donnĂ© du pain aux pigeons. | I gave some bread to the pigeons. |
| đ„ Elle a versĂ© de lâeau pour les chiens. | She poured some water for the dogs. |
| đ Ils ont ramassĂ© de la nourriture pour les chats errants. | They collected some food for the stray cats. |
| đ§ș Nous avons prĂ©parĂ© de lâherbe pour le lapin. | We prepared some grass for the rabbit. |
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Using de After Negation
In negative sentences, indefinite and partitive articles usually change to de (or d' before a vowel), so un, une, du, de la become de when the noun is negated.
| Positive Sentence | Negative Sentence |
|---|---|
| J'ai un chien. | Je n'ai pas de chien. |
| Elle veut de la confiture. | Elle ne veut pas de confiture. |
| Nous avons des chats. | Nous n'avons pas de chats. |
| French Example | English Translation |
|---|---|
| đ« Je nâai pas adoptĂ© de chien aujourdâhui. | I did not adopt a dog today. |
| đ« Elle nâa pas pris de chat ce soir. | She did not take in a cat tonight. |
| đ« Nous nâavons pas donnĂ© de nourriture aux animaux. | We did not give any food to the animals. |
| đ« Ils nâont pas accueilli dâanimal ce week-end. | They did not welcome any animal this weekend. |
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Special Cases with Adjectives
When a plural noun is preceded by an adjective, des often changes to de. This happens because the adjective comes between the article and the noun, triggering the use of de instead of des.
| French Word(s) | English Word(s) |
|---|---|
| des chiens | some dogs |
| de grands chiens | some big dogs |
| des maisons | some houses |
| de vieilles maisons | some old houses |
| French Example | English Translation |
|---|---|
| đ Jâai vu un grand chien dans le parc. | I saw a big dog in the park. |
| đ Elle a trouvĂ© un vieux chat sous un arbre. | She found an old cat under a tree. |
| đ Ils ont adoptĂ© un petit lapin blanc. | They adopted a small white rabbit. |
| 𩮠Nous avons donnĂ© un bon gros os au chien. | We gave a nice big bone to the dog. |
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Summary
Indefinite articles (un, une, des) introduce non-specific nouns; partitive articles (du, de la, de l', des) express unspecified amounts; and after negation, these articles usually become de.
Last updated: Sun Sep 14, 2025