Gender - Masculine or Feminine
Every French noun is either masculine or feminine. You must learn the gender with each word!
Definite Articles (the) Both Levels
| Article | When to Use | Example |
|---|---|---|
| le | masculine singular | le garçon (the boy) |
| la | feminine singular | la fille (the girl) |
| l' | before a vowel | l'école (the school) |
| les | all plurals | les enfants (the children) |
Indefinite Articles (a/an, some) Both Levels
| Article | When to Use | Example |
|---|---|---|
| un | masculine singular | un livre (a book) |
| une | feminine singular | une maison (a house) |
| des | plural | des livres (some books) |
Partitive Articles (some) Level 2
Used with food, drinks, and uncountable things:
| Article | When to Use | Example |
|---|---|---|
| du | masculine singular | du pain (some bread) |
| de la | feminine singular | de la confiture (some jam) |
| de l' | before a vowel | de l'eau (some water) |
| des | plural | des fruits (some fruit) |
⚠️ Articles After Negatives
After ne...pas, articles change to de/d':
Je mange du pain → Je ne mange pas de pain
J'ai un chien → Je n'ai pas de chien
J'ai des frères → Je n'ai pas de frères
Exception: With être, articles don't change:
C'est un chat → Ce n'est pas un chat ✓
📝 Quick Practice Activities
Brain Dump (3 minutes)
Close this page and write from memory:
- All 4 definite articles with examples
- All 3 indefinite articles with examples
- What happens to articles after negatives?
Article Sorting (10 minutes)
Make flashcards with 20 nouns you know. On the back, write the correct article (le/la/les). Test yourself!