Indefinite Articles in French
Questions This Article Answers
What are the indefinite articles in French?
What are the French indefinite articles?
When do we use indefinite articles in French?
When do I use an indefinite article in French?
When do I use de as an indefinite article in French?
What are examples of indefinite articles in French?
What's the difference between an indefinite article and a definite article in French?
What's the difference between the indefinite article des and the contraction des?
What Are the Indefinite Articles in French?
Les articles indéfinis(indefinite articles) are determiners that precede a noun in French. Indefinite articles agree in gender and number with the noun they precede and generally translate as a or an in the singular, and as some in the plural, although sometimes the plural indefinite article is not translated in English at all.
French Indefinite Articles
| Gender and Number | Indefinite Article | Example | English |
|---|---|---|---|
| Masculine Singular | un | un livre | a book |
| Feminine Singular | une | une table | a table |
| Masculine or Feminine Plural | des | des chaises | some chairs or chairs |
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When Do I Use an Indefinite Article in French?
The indefinite article in French always precedes a countable noun and agrees in gender and number with the noun. The indefinite articles has several uses. Let's take a look!
1. To Indicate a Noun That Is Not Specific or Not Identified
An indefinite article is used to indicate a noun that is indeterminate, meaning not specific or not identified. For example, une chemise(a shirt) is indeterminate as it refers to any shirt that exists or the idea of a shirt, while la chemise bleue(the blue shirt) or cette chemise(this shirt) each refer to a specific shirt. Here are a couple of examples that illustrate the difference between an indeterminate noun concept (using an indefinite article) and a specific identifiable noun (using a definite article or a possessive adjective)!
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2. To Indicate a Whole Noun or Several Units of a Noun
The indefinite article is used to indicate a whole noun or, in the plural, several units of a countable noun. For example, une tarte(a pie) refers to a whole pie, while de la tarte(some pie) refers to a certain amount or part of the pie. In the plural, des tartes(some pies) refers to several whole pies. Take a look at these examples to see what we mean!
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Exception Time!
While indefinite articles are usually used with countable nouns, they can be used with mass nouns in two particular situations: when referring to a portion of a mass noun or a type of a mass noun.
For example, le café(coffee) is a liquid, so it is a mass noun that cannot be counted. Normally, you'd use the partitive to refer to coffee, as in Je bois du café.(I'm drinking coffee.) However, you can use the indefinite article if you are referring to a serving of coffee, like a cup of coffee un café(a coffee), or if you are referring to several types of coffee: des cafés d'Afrique(coffees from Africa).
Want to know more about countable nouns and mass nouns in French? Check out this article!
3. To Refer to a Generic Concept in French
Indefinite articles are sometimes used when referring to a generic concept, to identify it, to classify it, or to define it. For example: Une araignée a huit pattes.(A spider has eight legs.). Here are some examples of how to use indefinite articles to refer to a generic concept.
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Indefinite Articles vs. Definite Articles in French
As you've seen, indefinite articles can be used to refer to an unidentified noun, a whole noun or several units of a noun, or the generic concept of a noun in French. The French definite articles le, la, les(the) have multiple uses, but to illustrate the differences here, we'll show how they are used to talk about a noun in general and to speak about a specific noun that is identifiable. The tables below summarize these uses with examples.
Uses of the Indefinite Article in French
Uses of the Definite Article in French
To find out more about definite articles and how they are used in French, take a look at this article!
4. To Emphasize an Idea
Colloquially, an indefinite article can be used in an exclamation as a way to emphasize an idea without providing a specific adjective to describe it. In these cases, the translation varies based on the context. Here are a couple of examples!
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When Do I Use De As an Indefinite Article in French?
The word de(of, from, or about) is most often used as a preposition in French. However, there are certain situations where the word de (a, an, some, any) is used as an indefinite article:
- after a negative expression like pas(not), jamais(never), or plus(no more)
- before an adjective that precedes a noun, like beau(beautiful), bon(good), or nouveau(new)
Here are some examples of each of these situations! Remember that de becomes d’ before a vowel or a silent h.
Use De After a Negative Expression
Use De Before a Preceding Adjective
If you want to know more about which adjectives come before a noun in French, check out the following article!
Are There Other Uses for Un and Une in French?
Good question! The answer is yes! The words un, une, de, and des do have multiple uses in French.
For example, un and une are also adjectives that mean the number one.
What's the Difference Between the Indefinite Article Des and the Contraction Des ?
Des is the plural indefinite article, but there is another des that is often used in French! It is the contraction of the preposition de(of, from, or about) with the definite article les(the). While the indefinite article des generally translates as some, the contraction des translates as of the, from the, or about the. Here's a table that shows the differences between the two!
The Definite Articles Des and the Contraction Des
It can be confusing when the same word is used in different ways, but never fear, at FrenchDictionary.com, we've got you covered! You can look up any word—even a small word like un—to see all of its different uses in French, with examples for each usage!
Now that you know all about indefinite articles in French, it’s time to learn about their counterparts—the definite articles—and practice using them with nouns!
