French Articles: Le, La, Les, Un, Une, Des (One Map for All Three)
French articles: definite (le/la/les), indefinite (un/une/des) and partitive (du/de la). Common nouns usually need an article, with ordinary exceptions.
French has three article systems: definite (le, la, les - specific things), indefinite (un, une, des - unspecified things), and partitive (du, de la, de l’ - “some” of something uncountable). As a beginner default, use an article with common nouns: j’aime le café, not “j’aime café.” Ordinary exceptions include il est médecin and avec plaisir.
Quick answer
French has three article systems: definite (le, la, les - specific things), indefinite (un, une, des - unspecified things), and partitive (du, de la, de l’ - “some” of something uncountable). Common nouns usually need an article: j’aime le café, not “j’aime café.” Exceptions include unmodified professions after être (il est médecin) and fixed phrases (avec plaisir).
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Definite articles: le, la, les, l’
For specific or known things - elision before a vowel: l’ami (the friend).
Indefinite articles: un, une, des
For unspecified/countable things; des is the plural “some” - j’ai des amis (I have [some] friends).
Partitive articles: du, de la, de l’, des
For uncountable/“some” things - du pain (some bread), de l’eau (some water). The full food-vocabulary connection lives in food vocabulary in French.
The beginner default: use an article with common nouns
J’aime le café (not “j’aime café”) - French uses the definite article for this general preference, where English says “I like coffee.” This is a useful common-noun default, not a universal rule. An unmodified profession after être normally has no article: il est médecin (he is a doctor). Fixed prepositional phrases can omit it too: avec plaisir (with pleasure).
Contractions: à+le=au, de+le=du
| Combination | Contracts to |
|---|---|
| à + le | au |
| à + les | aux |
| de + le | du |
| de + les | des |
For the fuller preposition system these contractions belong to, see à and de contractions.
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Questions about this note
What's the difference between le and un?
le/la are definite ("the"), un/une are indefinite ("a/an").
What is a partitive article?
du, de la, de l' - used for "some" of an uncountable thing, like du pain.
Can I skip the article in French?
Sometimes: stating someone's job after être can be articleless, as can a set prepositional expression. Otherwise, do not copy an English omission automatically.
What does à + le become?
au (contraction); de + le becomes du.
What's the plural indefinite article?
des - j'ai des amis (I have [some] friends).