Understanding Partitive Articles in French

Partitive articles are used in French to express an unspecified quantity of something that cannot be counted (usually substances, food, or abstract concepts). They can be translated into English as “some” though they are often omitted in English. This blog will cover everything you need to know about partitive articles in French, including their formation, usage, and exceptions, with plenty of examples.

1. Formation of Partitive Articles

There are four forms of partitive articles. The meaning of all of them is ” Some”

• Du: Used with masculine singular nouns that start with a consonant.
• De la: Used with feminine singular nouns that start with a consonant.
• De l’: Used with singular nouns (masculine or feminine) that start with a vowel or a silent ‘h’.
• Des: Used with plural nouns (both masculine and feminine).

Examples:

• Du pain (some bread)
• De la salade (some salad)
• De l’eau (some water)
• Des fruits (some fruits)

2. Usage of Partitive Articles

Partitive articles are used in the following contexts:

• With Non-Count Nouns: These are nouns that represent things that can’t be counted individually.
• Il boit *du lait.* (He drinks some milk.)
• Elle mange *de la confiture.* (She eats some jam.)
• Nous avons **de l’argent. (We have some money.)
• With Abstract Concepts: When talking about abstract ideas or feelings in an undefined quantity.
• Il a *de la patience.* (He has some patience.)
• Elle a *du courage.* (She has some courage.)
• *In Negative Sentences: When the sentence is negative, the partitive article usually changes to *de or d’ regardless of the noun’s gender or number.
• Je n’ai pas *de pain.* (I don’t have any bread.)
• Il ne boit pas **d’eau. (He doesn’t drink any water.)
• *After Expressions of Quantity: After certain expressions of quantity, the partitive article becomes *de.
• Un peu *de lait* (a little milk)
• Beaucoup *de patience* (a lot of patience)

3. Exceptions and Special Cases

• Definite vs. Partitive Articles: If you’re talking about something specific, you use a definite article (le, la, l’, les) instead of a partitive article.Partitive articles cannot be used with the follwing verbs : aimer , adorer , préférer and détester ,instead we use only definite articles
• J’aime le fromage . We cant say , j’aime du fromage
• After Certain Verbs: Some verbs (like “aimer,” “adorer,” “préférer,” “détester”) typically take definite articles, not partitive articles, when followed by nouns.
• Elle aime *le chocolat.* (She loves chocolate.)

4. Conclusion

Mastering the use of partitive articles in French is essential for proper communication, especially when discussing food, drink, or abstract nouns . Remember, the key is to understand the context in which they are used: when the quantity of the noun is not specified and when referring to part of a whole.

5. Quick Reference Table

By understanding and practicing these rules, you’ll be well on your way to using partitive articles like a native speaker.