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French Grammar

Adjectives of Quantity & Partitive Articles (du, de la, de l’)

The use of partitive articles (du, de la, de l’, des) to express undefined amounts, together with the rules for negation and expressions of quantity.

Level A2 Category Grammar

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Lesson Summary

The use of partitive articles (du, de la, de l’, des) to express undefined amounts, together with the rules for negation and expressions of quantity.

Grammar

Expressing Undefined Quantities

The partitive articles are used to refer to an unspecific quantity of a mass noun or an unspecified number of countable items. They have been encountered in vocabulary lessons such as food, drinks and the partitive article. This lesson systematises their forms and explains their behaviour in negative sentences and after expressions of quantity.

Partitive Articles

Gender / Number	Before a Consonant	Before a Vowel or Silent h
Masculine singular	du (du pain, du fromage)	de l’ (de l’argent, de l’hôtel)
Feminine singular	de la (de la crème, de la viande)	de l’ (de l’eau, de l’huile)
Plural (any gender)	des (des légumes, des pommes)	des (des œufs, des oranges)

After Negation

When a partitive article follows a negative verb (enclosed in ne…pas), it is reduced to de (or d’ before a vowel or silent h). This rule also applies after expressions of quantity.

- J’ai du lait. → Je n’ai pas de lait.
- Elle mange de la salade. → Elle ne mange pas de salade.
- Nous avons des amis. → Nous n’avons pas d’amis.

For the full structure of negation, see basic negation.

Expressions of Quantity

After nouns or adverbs of quantity such as beaucoup, peu, assez, trop, un kilo, une tasse, the preposition de (or d’) is used, without an additional article.

- Beaucoup de travail.
- Trop de sucre.
- Un verre d’eau.

Examples

Pour le dîner, j’achète du poulet, de la salade et des pommes.
The partitives du, de la, and des indicate unspecified amounts.
Je ne prends pas de lait dans mon café.
After the negative ne prends pas, the partitive de lait replaces du lait.

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Adjectives of Quantity & Partitive Articles (du, de la, de l’)The use of partitive articles (du, de la, de l’, des) to express undefined amounts, together with the rules for negation and expressions of quantity.Select the correct partitive article for masculine, feminine, or vowel‑initial nouns and apply the shift to de in negative and quantified contexts.GrammarA2grammarLearn French GrammarFrench GrammarExpressing Undefined QuantitiesThe partitive articles are used to refer to an unspecific quantity of a mass noun or an unspecified number of countable items. They have been encountered in vocabulary lessons such as food, drinks and the partitive article. This lesson systematises their forms and explains their behaviour in negative sentences and after expressions of quantity.