Partitive articles (yes, this is what they are called!) can be very annoying sometimes!

If you are confused about them, after reading this, you will, hopefully, have a clearer idea of which one to use when necessary.

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First things first, what are they?

Well, they are a subcategory of the prepositions DE and À and of the definite and indefinite articles (LE, LA, UN, UNE).

Why are they used?

They are used to talk about specific things, but with a general meaning.

When can they be used?

They can be used when a general meaning is preferred.

How are they used?

Masculine noun starting with a consonant: du papier (paper)

Feminine noun starting with a consonant: de la tarte (pie)

Masculine noun starting with a vowel: de l’or (gold)

Feminine noun starting with a vowel: de l’affection (affection)

—————————————————————Now, these answers are more of an overview, so let’s get into details to actually know how everything works.

The partitive articles are mainly used for 7 different cases.

They are used when talking about:

1. Uncountable nouns: (mainly liquids, but there are other things)

du sang, de la peinture, de l’eau (blood, paint, water)

2. Abstract nouns: (emotions and other things)

du temps, de la force, de l’énergie (time, strength, energy)

3. Animals: (used to mention that the animal is eatable)

du poulet, de la vache, de l’écureuil (chicken, cow, squirrel)

4. Inactive things: (almost any object and other things)

du sable, de la terre, de l’argent (sand, earth, money)

5. Food: (in general)

du pain, de la salade, de l’oignon (bread, salad, onion)

6. Material: (in general)

du bois, de la porcelaine, de l’acier (wood, porcelain, steel)

7. Fabric: (in general)

du lin, de la soie, de l’aramide (linen, silk, aramid)

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Here is what you can do to guess whether or not the partitive article can be used:

Using each category as a question; if you have 4 (or more) “no” answers, the partitive article should not be used. If you have 4 (or more) “yes” answers, the partitive article can be used.

EXCEPTION!

If you have a “no” answer to the first question “Is it countable?”, then it should normally be possible to use the partitive article for the word even if you have a majority of “no” answers.

It is important to remember that they are sometimes optional; they do not have to be used all the time.

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Here are the 7 questions to ask yourself:

1. Is it countable?

2. Is it abstract?

3. Is it an animal?

4. Is it inactive?

5. Is it eatable?

6. Is it a material?

7. Is it a fabric?

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Let’s try some random words!

Armoire (wardrobe)

1. Yes

2. No

3. No

4. Yes

5. No

6. No

7. No

5 “no” answers, which means that the partitive article is not used for this word.

Peau (skin)

1. No

2. No

3. No

4. Yes

5. Yes (animal skin)

6. Yes (biological material)

7. Yes (biological tissue)

4 “yes” answers, BUT the first answer is “no”. The partitive article can be used. “De la peau”.

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French is a difficult language, so sometimes thinking twice is important. Depending on what needs to be said, everything can change:

Toile (canvas)

1. Yes

2. No

3. No

4. Yes

5. No

6. No

7. No

5 “no” answers; no partitive article.

Toile (cloth)

1. No

2. No

3. No

4. Yes

5. No

6. Yes

7. Yes

4 “no” answers, BUT the first answer is “no”. The partitive article can be used. “De la toile”.

Verre (glass (to drink))

1. Yes

2. No

3. No

4. Yes

5. No

6. No

7. No

5 “no” answers; no partitive article.

Verre (glass (material))

1. No

2. No

3. No

4. Yes

5. No

6. Yes

7. No

5 “no” answers, BUT the first answer is “no”, which means that the partitive article can be used. “Du verre”.

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As an aside, be aware that sometimes, “ DU, DE LA & DE L’ “ are not used as partitive articles. Indeed, they can also express “possession”.

La queue du chat. The cat's tail.

Not the same as:

Une queue de chat. A cat tail. No real possession expressed here.

La poignée de la porte. The door’s handle.

Not the same as:

Une poignée de porte. A door handle. No real possession expressed.

L’écran de l'ordinateur. The computer's screen.

Not the same as:

Un écran d’ordinateur. A computer screen. No real possession.

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Here are some words if you want to put your knowledge into practice:

Matelas, sommeil, étagère, écriture, piano

(Mattress, sleep, shelf, writing, piano)

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I hope that my posting will be useful to you!

Please feel free to let me know if you have any question and/or if there is any other topic that you would like me to cover.

Bonne chance dans l’apprentissage du français! :)