Partitive Articles in French
This section explains partitive articles in French and includes tips for students studying foundation and higher tiers.
What is a Partitive Article?
A partitive article is used to express an unspecified amount of something, usually food, drink, or abstract concepts. It translates to "some" or "any" in English but is often omitted in English.
Partitive Articles in French
In French, the partitive article changes depending on the gender and number of the noun:
| English Meaning | French Partitive Article | Example in French | English Translation | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Some / any (masculine singular) | du | Je mange du pain. | I eat (some) bread. | |
| Some / any (feminine singular) | de la | Elle boit de la limonade. | She drinks (some) lemonade. | |
| Some / any (before vowel or silent 'h') | de l' | Nous achetons **de l'**eau. | We buy (some) water. | |
| Some / any (plural) | des | Ils mangent des légumes. | They eat (some) vegetables. |
Foundation Tier Examples
Je prends du fromage. → I have some cheese.
Elle achète de la confiture. → She buys some jam.
Tu veux **de l’**eau ? → Do you want some water?
Nous mangeons des frites. → We eat some chips.
Higher Tier: Using Partitive Articles in Negative Sentences
In negative sentences, the partitive article usually changes to de (or d' before a vowel).
| Affirmative | Negative |
|---|---|
| Je mange du chocolat. (I eat some chocolate.) | Je ne mange pas de chocolat. (I don’t eat any chocolate.) |
| Il boit de la soupe. (He drinks some soup.) | Il ne boit pas de soupe. (He doesn’t drink any soup.) |
| Nous avons des fraises. (We have some strawberries.) | Nous n’avons pas de fraises. (We don’t have any strawberries.) |
Higher Tier: Expressing Quantity with Partitive Articles
When a specific quantity is mentioned (e.g., "a lot of," "a little of"), the partitive article is replaced by "de".
| French Phrase | English Translation |
|---|---|
| Beaucoup de sucre | A lot of sugar |
| Un peu de lait | A little milk |
| Trop de sel | Too much salt |
| Assez de pain | Enough bread |
Example sentence:
- Elle boit beaucoup de thé. → She drinks a lot of tea.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
❌ Je bois du eau. → Je bois de l’eau. (Because "eau" starts with a vowel, use "de l’")
❌ Il mange des pain. → Il mange du pain. ("Pain" is singular, so use "du")
❌ Nous n’avons pas des pommes. → Nous n’avons pas de pommes. (In negative sentences, "des" changes to "de")
Key Takeaways
✅ Use du / de la / de l’ / des for unspecified amounts.
✅ In negative sentences, change the partitive article to "de".
✅ When using quantities, replace the partitive article with "de".
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