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Understanding Partitive Articles in French
Partitive articles in French are used when we want to talk about a part of something, rather than the whole thing. They are like saying 'some' or 'any' in English. These articles help us when we talk about quantities that aren't specific.
Important Points
In French, partitive articles are 'du', 'de la', 'de l’', and 'des'.
'Du' is used before masculine singular nouns.
'De la' is used before feminine singular nouns.
'De l’' is used before singular nouns that begin with a vowel or a silent 'h'.
'Des' is used before plural nouns.
It's important to remember that partitive articles are used when the amount of something is not specified. For example, when you want some bread but not a whole loaf, you would use a partitive article.
Examples
Du pain (some bread)
De la confiture (some jam)
De l’ eau (some water)
Des fruits (some fruits)
When making a sentence negative, 'du', 'de la', 'de l’', and 'des' usually change to 'de' or 'd’'. This is because in negative sentences, the focus is on the absence of something.
Examples
Je ne veux pas de pain (I don’t want any bread)
Elle n’a pas d’eau (She doesn’t have any water)
Ready to test your knowledge about French Partitive Articles?