French Indefinite and Definite Articles
Nouns are names of people, places, or things. Articles are used with nouns and it is important to understand that all nouns in French have a gender (masculine or feminine) and number (singular or plural). Hence articles are words that indicate the gender and number of a noun. The basic types of articles in French are Indefinite articles and Definite articles.
Indefinite Articles:
The indefinite article is used to refer to a noun in a non-specific or general sense. It is equivalent to the articles ‘a’ and ‘an’ in English. As we now understand, in French there are different forms of indefinite articles based on gender and number:
Definite Articles:
The definite article is used to refer to a specific noun or group of nouns. It is equivalent to the article ‘the’ in English. However, in French there are four forms of the definite article:
Tackling the Canine Conundrum
The French are passionate about dogs just as much as they are about fashion and dining. There are about 300,000 registered dogs just in Paris which works out to 2,857 dogs per kilometer! Dog poop is common on the sidewalks in France, so the phrase “Mind the Merde”.
There are various initiatives that have been taken in recent years to reduce the dog poop menace. Paris has installed numerous dog waste bins throughout the city specifically designed for the disposal of dog waste. Paris has implemented measures to enforce dog waste clean-up regulations. Spot checks and patrols are conducted by municipal authorities to ensure compliance. Violators may face fines if caught not picking up after their dogs. It is illegal to leave dog poop in public areas in France, including Paris. French law requires dog owners to clean up after their pets and dispose of their waste appropriately.
In French, the gender of a noun is not always predictable, and some nouns do not follow a clear pattern. Thus it is important to learn the gender of each noun as you learn it. The singular and plural forms of most French nouns are formed by adding an “s” to the end of the word. However,some irregular plural forms must be learned.
Additionally, French has a few nouns that are both masculine and feminine, depending on their meaning. For example, “un livre” (a book) is masculine, while “une livre” (a pound in weight) is feminine.
Remember that the gender of a noun affects the article, adjective, and sometimes the verb that goes with it.
If you have just started learning French it is advisable to go through the list of basic nouns before attempting the below exercises.
Exercises
- Change the articles of the below nouns into indefinite articles
| Singular | Plural | Meaning |
| La pomme | Les pommes | apple |
| L’enfant (m) | Les enfants | child |
| Le garcon | Les garçons | boy |
| La voiture | Les voitures | car |
| La fille | Les filles | girl |
| La ville | Les villes | city |
| Le chat | Les chats | cat |
| La maison | Les maisons | house |
| Le crayon | Les crayons | pencil |
| La fleur | Les fleurs | flower |
- Fill in the blank with the correct form them nouns provided in brackets:
- Je vais acheter des ____. (apple)
- J’ai voudrais un ____. (pen)
- Le ____ est sur la table. (book)
- Les ____ sont dormir sous la table. (cat)
- Elle conduit une ____ rouge. (car)
- Les ____________ dans les rues sont très belles.(flower)
- Il achète une _____________ près de la plage. (house)
- Choose the correct article to go with the following nouns:
- ____ chat noir (the black cat)
- ____ maisons blanche (the white houses)
- ____ fille gentille (the kind girl)
- ____ stylos bleus (the blue pens)
- ____ voiture rouge (the red car)
