Language/French/Grammar/Proper-nouns
Proper nouns are names like Marie-Paule, Paris, Toulouse, Le Havre, La Seine, La France, Le Canada.
With persons there is usually no article:
- Marie-Paule viendra demain
Marie-Paule will come tomorrow
In some cases an article is inserted in informal speech:
- Dis donc, elle était pas fière, la Marie-Paule!
So Marie-Paule must have felt a bit of a fool!
- T'aurais vu la tête qu'il faisait, le Jérôme!
You should have seen Jerome's face!
This conveys a familiar, affectionate attitude towards the individual concerned. When reference is made to a family, as in 'the Jones family', a plural article is used, but the name itself is not pluralized:
- J'ai invité les Martin à venir manger dimanche
I have invited the Martins for Sunday lunch
When a person's title is used, it is normally accompanied by the definite article:
- Je vous présente le Professeur Bodin
May I introduce Professor Bodin
- chez le Docteur Gleizes
c/o Dr Gleizes (on an envelope or package)
When proper nouns are modified by preceding adjectives, they require a definite article:
- le petit Jules
little Jules
- le gros Henri
fat Henri
Unlike in English, regions and countries are normally used with a definite article:
- J'ai visité la Normandie
I visited Normandy
- la France d'aujourd'hui
today's France
- Nous survolons la Belgique
We're flying over Belgium