Grammar / A2 : Elementary / Partitive articles
Partitive articles
du, de la, de l': expressing an indefinite quantity.
Expressing an unspecified quantity
Partitive articles: du, de la, de l' express "some" or "any" of something. They are used when you refer to a portion or quantity of something that is not normally counted individually: du pain (some bread), de l'eau (some water), de la patience (some patience). You cannot count bread, water, or patience the way you count apples or books.
Partitive articles appear constantly with food, drinks, activities, weather, and abstract qualities. Knowing when to use partitive, definite, or indefinite articles is one of the central challenges of A2 French; this lesson addresses all three in a single comparison.
1. The four forms
| Form | Used before | Example | English |
|---|---|---|---|
| du (de + le) | masculine singular nouns beginning with a consonant | Je mange du pain. | I eat some bread. |
| de la | feminine singular nouns beginning with a consonant | Je bois de la bière. | I drink some beer. |
| de l' | any singular noun beginning with a vowel or silent h | Il boit de l'eau. | He drinks some water. |
| des | plural nouns (when referring to an unspecified quantity) | Elle mange des fruits. | She eats some fruit. |
💡 English often omits "some" in these contexts: "I drink coffee" rather than "I drink some coffee." French always uses the partitive article: Je bois du café. Leaving it out is not an option.
2. When to use partitive articles
Food and drink
Je mange du riz, de la salade et des légumes. (I eat rice, salad, and vegetables.)
Il boit du café le matin. (He drinks coffee in the morning.)
Elle prend de la soupe. (She is having soup.)
Tu veux du fromage ? (Would you like some cheese?)
Sports and activities (faire du / de la / de l')
The verb faire combined with a partitive article is the standard way to express playing a sport or doing an activity.
Il fait du tennis. (He plays tennis.)
Elle fait de la natation. (She goes swimming.)
Je fais du vélo le week-end. (I go cycling at weekends.)
Tu fais de la musique ? (Do you play music?)
Il fait de l'escalade. (He goes rock climbing.)
💡 Note the difference between faire du/de la and jouer à:
Il fait du football. / Il joue au football.: both are correct for team sports.
faire du tennis / jouer au tennis: both work.
faire de la natation: swim (jouer à la natation does not exist).
Weather
Il fait du soleil. (It is sunny.)
Il y a du vent. (It is windy.)
Il y a de la neige. (There is snow.)
Il y a du brouillard. (There is fog.)
Abstract qualities
Il a du courage. (He has courage.)
Elle a de la patience. (She has patience.)
Tu as du talent ! (You have talent!)
Il faut de la persévérance. (Perseverance is needed.)
3. After negation : de / d'
After a negation (ne...pas, ne...plus, ne...jamais), partitive articles change to de (or d' before a vowel). This is the same rule as for indefinite articles after negation.
| Affirmative (partitive) | Negative (de / d') |
|---|---|
| Je mange du pain. | Je ne mange pas de pain. |
| Elle boit de la bière. | Elle ne boit pas de bière. |
| Il fait du sport. | Il ne fait pas de sport. |
| Tu as du talent. | Tu n'as pas de talent. |
| Il y a de la neige. | Il n'y a pas de neige. |
⚠ Exception: after c'est, the article does NOT change to de.
C'est du bon vin. → Ce n'est pas du bon vin. (article stays du)
The rule only applies when the partitive article is the direct object of the verb.
4. After expressions of quantity : de / d'
After all expressions of quantity, whether approximate or precise, use de / d': never the partitive or other articles.
| Expression of quantity | Example |
|---|---|
| beaucoup de | Je bois beaucoup de café. (I drink a lot of coffee.) |
| peu de | Il a peu de temps. (He has little time.) |
| assez de | Tu as assez de patience ? (Do you have enough patience?) |
| trop de | Elle boit trop de sucre. Wait, Elle mange trop de sucre. (She eats too much sugar.) |
| un kilo de | Je voudrais un kilo de tomates. (I'd like a kilo of tomatoes.) |
| un verre de | Il prend un verre d'eau. (He takes a glass of water.) |
| une tasse de | Je veux une tasse de thé. (I want a cup of tea.) |
| une bouteille de | Elle achète une bouteille de vin. (She buys a bottle of wine.) |
5. The three-way distinction
This is the core challenge. French uses three different article systems for things and substances, and choosing correctly depends on whether you are referring to a general category, a specific instance, or an unspecified quantity.
| Article | Use | Example | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| Definite le / la / les | Something in general, or a specific known thing | J'aime le café. | I like coffee (in general). |
| Indefinite un / une / des | One countable item, or a number of countable items | Je mange une pomme. | I eat an apple (one specific apple). |
| Partitive du / de la / de l' | Some of something uncountable or non-specific | Je bois du café. | I drink some coffee (an unspecified amount). |
The same noun (three articles, three meanings:)
J'adore le chocolat. (I love chocolate: the substance in general.)
Je mange un chocolat. (I am eating a chocolate: one piece.)
Je mange du chocolat. (I am eating some chocolate: an unspecified amount.)
💡 A quick test:
Can you say "I like [noun] in general"? → definite: J'aime le café.
Can you count individual items (one, two, three...)? → indefinite: Je mange une pomme.
Is it an unspecified portion of something? → partitive: Je bois du café.
6. Common errors
| Error | Correct | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Je bois le café le matin. | Je bois du café le matin. | You are drinking some coffee (partitive needed, not definite) |
| Il ne fait pas du sport. | Il ne fait pas de sport. | After negation, partitive becomes de |
| Je bois beaucoup du café. | Je bois beaucoup de café. | After expressions of quantity, use de only |
| Elle mange de la une pomme. | Elle mange une pomme. | pomme is countable (use indefinite, not partitive) |
7. Key points
✓ Partitive articles: du (masc.) / de la (fem.) / de l' (vowel/silent h) / des (plural)
✓ Used for: food and drink / sports and activities (faire du/de la) / weather / abstract qualities
✓ After negation: partitive → de / d' (Je ne mange pas de pain.)
✓ Exception after c'est: article stays unchanged: Ce n'est pas du bon vin.
✓ After expressions of quantity: always de / d'; beaucoup de café, un verre d'eau
✓ Definite (le/la) = something in general / Indefinite (un/une) = one countable item / Partitive (du/de la) = some of something