Partitive articles in french?
I'm trying to really understand the articles in french (as I usually just glaze over them when I talk), but now that i'm trying to start writing... that's not an option anymore.

Regarding the partitive:

I saw this in a textbook: Elle n’a pas de chaussures. Elle n’a que des pantoufles. (She hasn’t any shoes. She only has slippers.)

Why is it DE chaussures? I'd think because it's a plural noun it should be DES, or the noun should be singular with DU. When you're using the partitive when referring to something that can be counted (unlike milk, water, whatever), what is the rule for plurality in the partitive?

Thanks!

Question

Partitive articles in french?
I'm trying to really understand the articles in french (as I usually just glaze over them when I talk), but now that i'm trying to start writing... that's not an option anymore.

Regarding the partitive:

I saw this in a textbook: Elle n’a pas de chaussures. Elle n’a que des pantoufles. (She hasn’t any shoes. She only has slippers.)

Why is it DE chaussures? I'd think because it's a plural noun it should be DES, or the noun should be singular with DU. When you're using the partitive when referring to something that can be counted (unlike milk, water, whatever), what is the rule for plurality in the partitive?

Thanks!

Answer

It is a very simple rule, the when a verb is negated the article that follow will be changed to DE. This is also the case when using 'beaucoup' the article following beaucoup is always DE never DES, and with 'avoir besoin DE' ( I have need) the DE is always there and never changes to agree with the object.

Here are some examples:

Je n'ai pas de lait.
Je ne mange pas/jamais de légumes.
Je n'ai pas de feuilles. 
Il n'y a pas de chiens, mais il y a beaucoup de chats.
J'ai besoin de pain.
J'ai besoin de feuilles pour ma collage.

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