Definite Articles
definite articles specify a particular noun and can be translated as “the” in English
- Le (M, S)
- La (F, S)
- Les (P for both M/F)
- L’ (before vowels or mute ‘h’)
used when referring to specific items that are known to the speaker and listener eg. Le professeur, La voiture, Les enfants, L’école also used with general statements about a noun: eg. Les chats aiment dormir : cats like to sleep eg. L’eau est essentielle : water is essential
Indefinite Articles
indefinite articles refer to non-specific nouns and are equivalent to “a/an” and “some” in English.
- Un (M, S)
- Une (F, S)
- Des (P for both M/F)
used when referring to non-specific items or when mentioning something for the first time: eg. Un professeur, Une voiture, Des enfants also used to express quantity in a non-specific way: eg. J’ai des amis en France : i have some friends in France eg. Elle veut une pomme : she wants an apple
Special Cases and Rules
- before plural adjectives, des can change to de
- des becomes de when the adjective comes before the noun
- eg. De beaux jardins (beautiful gardens)
- after a negative verb, un, une, des usually become de
- eg. Je n’ai pas de livre (i dont have a book)
- with specific expressions, the definite article is required even though it might not be in English
- Jouer au tennis (to play tennis)
- Aimer la musique (to like music)