🎓 Prepared by students from Boğaziçi University

What Are French Partitive Articles?

Partitive articles in French (du, de la, des) are used before uncountable nouns to express 'some' or 'a portion of' something. They differ from definite articles (le, la, les) and indefinite articles (un, une, des) in meaning and use.

Short answer

Partitive articles (du, de la, des) express 'some' or 'a quantity of' uncountable nouns in French. Use 'du' for masculine, 'de la' for feminine, and 'des' for plural.

Partitive Articles: Expressing Quantities

1
Noun type check
Is the noun countable (une pomme) or uncountable (du lait)?
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2
Uncountable/mass noun
Use partitive: du, de la, des — means 'some' or 'a quantity'
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3
Masculine (du)
du lait (some milk), du pain (some bread)
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4
Feminine (de la)
de la farine (some flour), de la confiture (some jam)
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5
Plural (des)
des pâtes (some pasta), des épinards (some spinach)

Step-by-step worked examples

Fill in: 'Je bois ___ eau chaque jour' (I drink some water every day)

'Eau' (water) is feminine and uncountable
Use 'de la'
Answer: 'Je bois de l'eau'

Complete: 'Il mange ___ pain et ___ beurre' (He eats some bread and some butter)

'Pain' (bread) is masculine uncountable → 'du'
'Beurre' (butter) is masculine uncountable → 'du'
Answer: 'du pain et du beurre'

Translate: 'There is some sugar in the coffee' → 'Il y a ___ sucre'

'Sucre' (sugar) is masculine and uncountable
Use 'du'
Answer: 'Il y a du sucre'

Flashcards

Quick quiz

Q1.Choose the correct partitive article: 'Je voudrais ___ lait'

Correct answer: B. 'Lait' (milk) is masculine uncountable → 'du lait'.

Q2.What do partitive articles express?

Correct answer: B. Partitive articles mean 'some' or 'an amount of' uncountable things.

Q3.'De la' is used for…

Correct answer: B. 'De la' marks feminine uncountable nouns: de la farine, de l'eau.

Q4.Difference: 'une pomme' vs. 'du jus'?

Correct answer: B. 'Une pomme' (indefinite, one item); 'du jus' (partitive, some juice).

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Common mistakes

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Using indefinite articles for uncountable things. — Correct: Use partitive (du/de la/des) before uncountable nouns: 'du café', not 'un café' (unless counting cups).

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Thinking 'du' is always definite. — Correct: 'Du' is partitive (from 'de + le'), meaning 'some', not 'the'.

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Confusing partitive 'des' with indefinite 'des'. — Correct: Both look the same but mean different things: 'une pomme' (one) vs. 'des pommes' (some, countable) vs. 'du lait' (some, uncountable).

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Omitting the article. — Correct: Partitive articles are mandatory before uncountable nouns in French.

FAQ

What are partitive articles in French?

Partitive articles (du, de la, des) are used before uncountable (mass) nouns to express 'some' or 'a quantity of': du café, de la farine.

What is the difference between 'une pomme' and 'du jus'?

'Une pomme' uses indefinite (one apple, countable); 'du jus' uses partitive (some juice, uncountable mass).

Why is 'du' sometimes called 'de le'?

Historically, 'du' is a contraction of 'de + le'. In practice, you use 'du' as a single article.

Can you use partitive with countable nouns?

No — countable nouns use indefinite (un/une/des) or definite (le/la/les) articles. Partitive is only for uncountable/mass nouns.