Indefinite article in French - un, une, des
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The indefinite articles (French: les articles indéfinis) vaguely determine the noun that follows them.
The French grammar has three indefinite articles:
- Un
- Une
- Des
Lesson outline
HideHow to use the indefinite article in French
The indefinite articles in French are un for masculine and une for feminine nouns. These articles are rather used for random persons, things or ideas than for a specific group of things.
If a plural noun is preceded by an epithet adjective the article 'des' becomes 'de' or 'd' and it's also the same for the negative phrases except for the verb être.
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Examples
- Une jeune femme s'est perdu dans la forêt. (A young lady get lost in the forest)
- Un beau garçon m'a aidée à traverser la route. (A beautiful boy helped me cross the road)
- De superbes roses m'ont été offertes. (Beautiful flowers has been offered to me)
- Je te ferai d'énormes calins. (I will make you ton of hugs)
- Je n'ai pas de nouvelles de ta soeur. (I don't have news from your sister)
Forms of the indefinite article
| masculine | feminine | Example | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Singular | un | une | un monsieur (A mister) une dame (A lady) |
| Plural | des | des | des enfants (Children) des touristes (Tourists) |
Please bear in mind that des can mean different things in English, depending on the sentence. In most cases however, some is often the best word to use.
Please note that the indefinite article can be used as a numeral word (un monsieur attend encore, deux autres sont partis).
Exercises
- Fill in the blank exercise about the French indefinite articles
- Quiz about the French indefinite articles
Fill in the blank exercise about the French indefinite articles
Quiz about the French indefinite articles
Exercises
- Fill in the blank exercise about the French indefinite articles
- Quiz about the French indefinite articles
Fill in the blank exercise about the French indefinite articles
Quiz about the French indefinite articles
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