Articles partitifs and their use

Partitive Articles ( articles partitifs)

Mescaline --  de + le = du

Féminine  --  de + la = de la

Plural (mescaline/ feminine) – de + les = des

Noun that starts with vowel --- de + l' = de l'

 What is Articles Partitifs:

Basically it refers to an unspecific quality of an uncountable noun, food or liquid. 

There is no equivalent of this article in English. It is basically replaced by some.

It is placed directly in front of the noun.

This article is also used with abstract noun.

Example:

Elle a de la chance. 

Tu as du courage.

Example:

Alice mange du gâteau. 

Alice eats some cake. 

Or 

Alice eats cake.

WHICH ARTICLE SHOULD BE PLACED 

Articles partitifs or Articles définis 

• Définite Article refers to the whole quantity of an uncountable noun or food.

• Partitive Article refers to some part of an uncountable noun.

Example:

Ma mère est allée au marché pour acheter des pommes de terre . Elle a  préparé les pommes de terre pour diner.

Explanation of the above sentence to understand better:

My mother went to the market to buy potatoes. She went to a vegetable vendor. There she bought some potatoes ( partitif ). As she didn’t buy all potatoes from the vendor. So here we shall use partitif ( du, de la, des). 

But when she came home back,  then Article défini will be used with potatoes. As potatoes we bought are the whole quantity for us.

Example 2:

J'ai préparé du riz et j’ai donné du riz à mon fils. Mon fils a mangé le riz.

I cooked rice and gave some rice to my son. My son ate rice ( it means all rice, I served)

Explanation of the above sentence to understand better:

Food that I cooked is partitif as I did not cook all rice, kept in my kitchen  I gave some to my son so here it will be partitif . But as it comes to my son , it will become article defini for my son.

Difference between Articles contractés or Articles partitifs 

Also in Articles contractés we can see the same structure that we have in Articles partitifs.  But what is the difference between these two articles. 

1. Partitif (de la, du and des ) indicate the quantity of an uncountable noun however in article contracté (de la, du and des) refer to OF THE and FROM THE. We can easily guess if it is article defini or contracté by reading the sentence carefully. 

2. If there is an uncountable noun or any food, it is article partitif while article contracté comes before before a common noun.

Article partitif or Article indéfini

If quantity is precised, we use indefinite article but if quantity is not precised,  we use Partitive.  

Example:

Une bouteille d'eau. (One bottle of water) (indéfini )

De l'eau. ( some water) ( partitif )

2. Deux kilo de sucre. ( two kg of sugar) (indéfini)

Du sucre ( some sugar) ( partitif) 

NEGATIVE SENTENCES 

PARTITIF:

Du, de la and des become de.

JE mange DE LA pizza ---- I eat pizza. 

Je ne mange pas DE pizza. --- I don’t eat pizza 

DÉFINI:

Definite article remains unchanged. 

J'aime LA pizza --- I like pizza 

Je n'aime pas LE  pizza ---- I don’t like pizza. 

Note:

These 4 verbs always take article Défini 

1. Aimer

2. Détester 

3. Préferer 

4. Adorer

Exercise for practice 

1. J'aime _____ fromage. 

2. Tu n’aime pas _____ vin.

3. Alice a acheté ______ haricots.

4. Qu'est- ce que tu manges au petit déjeuner: ___ pain avec ____beurre ou __ confiture?

5. Ton père prend ___ thé ou ___ café?

6. Je déteste ____ poulet.

7. Ayez ____ courage.

Verify your answers:

1. Le

2. De

3. Des

4. Du, du, de la

5. Du, du

6. Le

7. Du

To read about other articles, follow this link:

Articles contractés

Articles Définis

 

 Articles indéfinis