Partitive articles

Foreign Languages

Definition

Partitive articles in French (du, de la, de l', des) express an unspecified quantity of something, equivalent to 'some' or 'any' in English. They are required when talking about food, drinks, or abstract concepts in general quantities. After negation, all partitive articles change to 'de' or 'd'.'

Examples

  • 'Je veux du pain' — I want some bread
  • 'Elle boit de la limonade' — She drinks some lemonade
  • 'Il n'y a pas de lait' — There is no milk (partitive becomes 'de' after negation)
Key Fact

du (masc.), de la (fem.), de l' (before vowel), des (plural). All become de/d' after negation.

Related Terms

Possessive articles Demonstrative adjectives Food vocabulary Ordering food

Study This Concept

Practice partitive articles with free review games in these units:

French 1-2 Unit 3: Food and Cuisine