Language/French/Grammar/Déterminants
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Definite and Indefinite Articles
Articles définis[edit | edit source]
They are used when we known the subject they refer to.
Le[edit | edit source]
It is used to refer to a known male subject.
Examples:
- Le chien est gris (= the dog is grey).
- Le chat mange une souris (= the cat is eating a mouse).
- J'ai vu le voisin ce matin (= i saw the neighbor this morning).
La[edit | edit source]
It is used to refer to a known female subject.
Examples:
- La tortue de Jean (= Jean's tortle)
- J'ai vu la voisine ce matin (= i saw the neighbor this morning).
L'[edit | edit source]
It's a diminutive for "le" or "la".
Examples:
- L'histoire est fausse (= the storie is false).
- L'ananas est cultivé dans le sud (= pineapple is grown in the south).
- L'animal est sauvage (= the beast/ animal is wild)
Les[edit | edit source]
It is used to refer to known plurials (males and/ or females) subjects.
Examples:
- Les chevaux sont beaux (= horses are beautiful).
- Les frites sont faites avec des patates (= fries are make with potatoes).
Articles indéfinis[edit | edit source]
They are used when we don't know the subject they refer to.
Un[edit | edit source]
It is used to refer to an unknown male subject.
Examples:
- Un homme étrange (= a weird man).
- Un fruit sucré (= a sweet fruit).
Une[edit | edit source]
It is used to refer to an unknown female subject.
Examples:
- Une vieille horloge (= an old clock).
- J'ai une bonne idée (= i have a good idea).
Des[edit | edit source]
It is used to refer to unknown plurials (males and/ or females) subjects.
Examples:
- Des feuilles jaunes tombent des arbres (= yellow leaves are falling from the trees).
- Des amis m'ont appelé (= friends called me).
Other Lessons[edit | edit source]
- Adverbs
- Weather verbs
- Abstract versus concrete nouns
- Typical use of the indefinite article
- Difference between meilleur and mieux
- Measurements and comparisons in French — Numeral nouns and approximations
- Easy way of generating the imperfect tense
- How to use « il y a » in French
- Differences in the use of numbers in French and English Dates
- Omission of the article in participle + noun constructions linked by de