Articles

In French, nouns are usually preceded by articles....

Definite

Indefinite

Masculine

le

un

Feminine

la

une

Plural

les

des

Indefinite Articles
The indefinite article, un/une, is used exactly like the English indefinite
article- a/an. It is used when referring to a single instance that is a part of a
group that consists of many entities. For example 'a doorknob' is a single
instance of the 'doorknobs' group which consists of everything that is called
a doorknob.
un oiseau
un acteur
une actrice
une blatte

a bird
an actor
an actress
a cockroach

Plural Indefinite Articles

The plural indefinite article, des, is used when referring to more than a
single entity. It is not used, however, when general statements are made
about a group - statements that are meant to refer to all the entities that
make up that group. This is the role of the definite article as we shall soon
see. In English, note that in the same situation no article is placed before
the noun.
Je vois des blattes partout.
I see cockroaches everywhere.
Mon ami vend des fleurs dans le metro.
My friend sells flowers in the subway.
Des oiseaux mangent le fruit de ces arbres.
Birds eat the fruit of these trees.
Des passants ont vu l'accident.
People who were passing by saw the accident.

Definite Articles
The definite articles, le, la, les, are basically equivalent to English the.
Anytime the is used in English, a definite article will surely be used in
French. In some cases, however, French will use a definite articles when
English uses no article at all.
This includes times when a group of nouns is referred to in its entirety. For
example when blanket statements are made about all cockroaches, all
humans, or all cars.
Les blattes vivent dans les murs et se reproduisent prodigieusement.
Cockroaches live in the walls and reproduce prodigiously.
Les baleines sont les animaux les plus grands du monde. Les humains, en
comparaison, sont trs petits.
Whales are the largest animals in the world. Humans, by comparison, are very
small.
Il pense que les voitures sont l'invention du diable.
He thinks that cars are the invention of the devil.

...and when a noun is referred to in a general sense (for example a

statement that refers not to a particular war but to war in general).
La guerre est horrible.
War is horrible.
Il faut cultiver l'amour, et eviter la haine et la colre.
We must cultivate love, and avoid hate and anger.
J'aime la cuisine chinoise.
I love chinese food.
Il aime l't plus que l'hiver.
He likes summer more than winter.
Le basket est notre sport prfr.
Basketball is our favorite sport.

Names are not usually preceded by articles. However the definite article
almost always precedes the names of countries except when it follows the
prepositions en and de.

la France, l'gypte, les tats-Unis, la Chine

Je vais en France.
I go to France.

Whenever the definite articles le or les follow the prepositions or de, the
preposition and article fuse together.

de

le

au

du, de l'

la

la

de la, de l'

les

aux

des

Christine revient demain du Mexique.

Christine returns tomorrow from Mexico.
Pierre parle aux infirmiers.
Pierre is speaking to the nurses.
Olivier revient de l'aroport.(masculine)
Olivier is returning from the aeroport.
Nous jouons au basket.
We play basketball.
Il dsigne un successeur au cas o il meure.
He designates a successor in case he dies.

Partitive Articles
A partitive article consists of the preposition de followed by a definite article
(du, de la). It is frequently used before a singular noun that represents
something that can be divided into smaller parts like liquids, wood, food,
etc.
Je bois du vin rouge pour le dner. Marie boit de la bire.
I drink red wine during dinner. Mary drinks beer.
Coupez nous du bois pour le feu.
Cut us some wood for the campfire.

Article Omission
Demonstrative adjectives or numbers, can precede nouns in lieu of the
article.
Cette guerre
Deux enfants

this war
two children

The article is often omitted...

when a noun follows the verbs tre, demeurer, devenir,
lire, and rester
Elle est devenue femme de maison. She became a house wife.
Nous sommes mdecins.
We are doctors.
Sandrine veut tre presidente.
Cristine wants to be president

and in certain verbal phrases

avoir besoin
avoir peur
tirer balles relles
faire attention

to need
to fear
to shoot with real bullets
to be careful!

Omissions Following a Preposition

When the noun follows a preposition, frequently the article is omitted. The
plural indefinite article, des, is always omitted after the preposition de.
Cette mer deborde de poissons.
This sea is overflowing with fish.
Ils djeunent principalement de fruits.
They breakfast mainly on fruit.
Les dauphins dnent de poissons.
Dolphins dine on fish.
Un kilo de haricots, s'il vous plat.
A kilogram of beans please.

Beaucoup de tomates...
Lots of tomatoes...

When a phrase is negated, the indefinite articles (un, une, and des) are
replaced by de.
j'ai un frre

je n'ai pas de frre

I have a brother

I don't have a brother

j'ai des amis

I have friends

je n'ai pas d'amis

I don't have any friends

j'ai des enfants

I have children

je n'ai pas d'enfants

I don't have any children

In addition, when an adjective comes before a noun, the plural indefinite

article, des, is normally replaced with de.
Cette universit fait de bons instituteurs.
This university creates good teachers.

In the case of compound nous (Noun1 + Preposition + Noun2). the second

noun, connected to the first noun by a preposition, is usually not preceded
by an article.
une verre de vin
une tasse de caf
une guide d'ordinateur
une histoire d'amour
une salle de bains

a glass of wine
a cup of coffee
a computer guide
a love story
a bathroom

une verre vin

une tasse caf

a wine glass
a coffee cup

Articles are frequently omitted after the prepositions avec, sans, sur, sous,
par, and en.
avec
Elle veut une maison avec piscine.
She wants a house with a pool.
avec attention
avec passion

carefully
passionately

sans
Tu ne peux pas entrer sans mot de passe.
You can not enter without a password.
un t sans pluie
sans domicile fixe

a summer without rain

homeless

sans passion

dispassionately

sous
Le mdecin l'a mis sous antibiotiques.
The doctor put him on antibiotics.
sous terre
sous pression
sous prtexte

underground
under pressure
with the pretext

en
Ces rfugis souffrent en permanence.
These refugees are suffering without end.
Nous sommes en runion.
We are in a meeting.
par
Par moments, je doute de moi.
At times, I doubt myself.
C'est par choix que il est seul.
It is by choice that he is alone.
pour Il a pour but le paix du monde.
He has as a goal world peace.

Nous allons en France.

We are going to France.