What are Partitive Articles?
Partitive articles express an indefinite quantity or a part of a whole—like 'some' in English. French uses three forms: du (masculine singular), de la (feminine singular), and de l' (before vowels). You use them when you can't count the noun individually or when the quantity is unclear.
Partitive articles (du, de la, de l') express an unspecified quantity or part of a mass noun. Use du for masculine, de la for feminine, de l' before vowels, and remember they often mean 'some' or 'any'.
- •du pain (some bread)
- •de la farine (some flour)
- •de l'eau (some water)
- •du lait (some milk — uncountable)
- •de la viande (some meat — uncountable)
- •de l'huile (some oil — uncountable)
Step-by-step worked examples
Complete: 'Je veux _____ pain et _____ beurre.' (I want bread and butter.)
'Pain' (bread) and 'beurre' (butter) are uncountable mass nouns. Use 'du' for masculine mass nouns. Answer: Je veux du pain et du beurre.
Fill in: 'Elle boit _____ café chaque matin.' (She drinks coffee every morning.)
'Café' (coffee) is a mass noun—you can't say 'one coffee' in the same way. Use 'du' (du café = some coffee). Answer: Elle boit du café chaque matin.
Complete: 'Avez-vous _____ sucre?' (Do you have sugar?)
'Sucre' (sugar) is an uncountable mass noun. Use 'du' for masculine mass. Answer: Avez-vous du sucre?
Flashcards
Quick quiz
Q1.Some bread: '_____ pain'
Q2.Some water (ünlü): '_____ eau'
Q3.Partitive for 'jam' (feminine, la confiture): '_____ confiture'
Q4.Which sentence uses the partitive correctly?
The full card deck, worked steps and AI-tutor support for “What are Partitive Articles?” are in Notek — study by hand before your exam.
Common mistakes
Confusing 'un' (one) with 'du' (some): 'Je veux un pain' vs. 'Je veux du pain'. — Correct: Use 'un' for one specific item; 'du' for an unspecified amount. Context matters—'du' is more natural for general serving.
Using partitive with countable nouns: 'du chat' (some cat — wrong). — Correct: Partitive only for mass nouns (bread, water, flour). For countable: 'un chat', 'des chats'.
Forgetting to change the article: 'du' water = 'du eau' (wrong). — Correct: Before vowels, use 'de l'': de l'eau, de l'huile, de l'ail.
Using definite (le, la, les) instead of partitive: 'Je veux la confiture' (the jam) vs. 'Je veux de la confiture' (some jam). — Correct: Definite = specific, known jam; partitive = unspecified amount of jam.
FAQ
What are partitive articles in French?
Articles expressing unspecified quantity or mass: du, de la, de l'. They mean 'some', 'any', or 'an amount of'.
When do you use partitive articles?
With uncountable mass nouns (bread, water, milk) or when quantity is unclear and you mean 'some'.
Difference between 'un café' and 'du café'?
'Un café' = one specific coffee (countable/one cup); 'du café' = some coffee, amount unclear (mass).
What form do partitive articles take before vowels?
'de l'' before any vowel or silent h: de l'eau, de l'huile, de l'air.