Published January 28, 2021 • Updated June 9, 2026 — By French teacher David Issokson, teaching French online since 2014
French articles are small words that come before nouns. To say “the” in French, use le, la, les, and l’. To say “a”, “an”, or “some”, use un, une, and des. This guide explains the rules for using definite, indefinite, and partitive articles in French.
✅ Definite articles
✅ Definite article contractions
✅ Indefinite articles
✅ Negation rules
✅ Partitive articles
✅ Partitive articles in negation
French Articles Summary
This chart summarizes the three main types of French articles and their most common uses.
| Article Type | French | English |
|---|---|---|
| Definite | le, la, les, l’ | the |
| Indefinite | un, une, des | a, an, some |
| Partitive | du, de la, des, de l’ | some, any |
Definite Articles
Use definite articles when referring to a specific person, place, thing, or idea. In English, they translate to “the”.
| Article | Use | Example |
|---|---|---|
| le | masculine singular | le garçon |
| la | feminine singular | la voiture |
| les | plural | les enfants |
| l’ | before a vowel or silent h | l’hôtel |
Je mange le pain.
I eat the bread.
Je conduis la voiture.
I drive the car.
Je vois les gens.
I see the people.
L’ami de Pierre est anglais.
Pierre’s friend is English.
Unlike English, French generally requires an article before nouns.
J’aime la pizza.
I like pizza.
Definite Article Contractions
The definite article contracts with the prepositions à and de.
Contractions with à
| Form | Contraction | English |
|---|---|---|
| à + le | au | to the |
| à + la | à la | to the |
| à + les | aux | to the |
| à + l’ | à l’ | to the |
Je vais au magasin.
I’m going to the store.
Je vais à la plage.
I’m going to the beach.
Je vais aux États-Unis.
I’m going to the United States.
Je vais à l’aéroport.
I’m going to the airport.
Contractions with de
| Form | Contraction | English |
|---|---|---|
| de + le | du | from the, of the |
| de + la | de la | from the, of the |
| de + les | des | from the, of the |
| de + l’ | de l’ | from the, of the |
Je viens du magasin.
I’m coming from the store.
Je viens de la plage.
I’m coming from the beach.
Je viens des États-Unis.
I’m coming from the United States.
Je viens de l’aéroport.
I’m coming from the airport.
Indefinite Articles
Use indefinite articles when referring to a non-specific person or thing. They translate to “a”, “an”, or “some”.
| Article | Use | Example |
|---|---|---|
| un | masculine singular | un livre |
| une | feminine singular | une maison |
| des | plural | des étudiants |
Il y a un chien dans le jardin.
There is a dog in the garden.
J’achète une table pour la cuisine.
I’m buying a table for the kitchen.
Il y a des voitures dans le parking.
There are some cars in the parking lot.
Unlike English, French requires an article before nouns.
J’achète des stylos.
I’m buying pens.
Indefinite Articles in Negation
In negative sentences, un, une, and des usually become de or d’. This rule applies to both singular and plural nouns.
| Affirmative | Negative |
|---|---|
| un chien | de chien |
| des pommes | de pommes |
Est-ce que tu as un chien ?
Do you have a dog?
Non, je n’ai pas de chien.
No, I don’t have a dog.
Est-ce que tu as des pommes ?
Do you have some apples?
Non, je n’ai pas de pommes.
No, I don’t have any apples.
Partitive Articles
Partitive articles refer to an unspecified quantity of something. They often translate to “some”.
| Article | Example | English |
|---|---|---|
| du | du pain | some bread |
| de la | de la confiture | some jam |
| des | des frites | some French fries |
| de l’ | de l’eau | some water |
Je veux du pain.
I want some bread.
Je veux de la confiture.
I want some jam.
Je veux des frites.
I want some French fries.
Je veux de l’eau.
I want some water.
French requires an article before nouns, even when English does not.
Je bois du jus.
I drink juice.
Partitive Articles in Negation
In negative sentences, du, de la, des, and de l’ usually become de or d’. In English, this often translates as “any”.
| Affirmative | Negative |
|---|---|
| du pain (some bread) | de pain (any bread) |
| de la viande (some meat) | de viande (any meat) |
| des pommes (some apples) | de pommes (any apples) |
| de l’eau (some water) | d’eau (any water) |
Je n’achète pas de pain.
I’m not buying any bread.
This same rule also applies to indefinite articles.
| Affirmative | Negative |
|---|---|
| un cheval | de cheval |
| une table | de table |
| des pommes | de pommes |
Non, je n’ai pas de cheval.
No, I don’t have a horse.
Exception with être
When the verb être (to be) is used, the article does not change in negative sentences.
| Affirmative | Negative |
|---|---|
| du chocolat | du chocolat |
| de la limonade | de la limonade |
| des cerises | des cerises |
C’est du chocolat ?
Is it chocolate?
Non, ce n’est pas du chocolat.
No, it’s not chocolate.
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