CEFR A1
What you will learn
- Choose du, de la, de l’ or des according to gender, initial sound and number.
- Reduce the partitive to de after a basic negative.
Before you start
- Have studied “Gender and the article: le, la, l', un, une”.
The idea
To talk about an unspecified quantity or unidentified plural items, French requires a determiner: du, de la, de l’ or des.
For an uncounted quantity, French uses “du” with masculine nouns, “de la” with feminine nouns and “de l’” before a vowel or mute h. It uses “des” for an indefinite plural. This page practises all four choices because each requires a determiner selected by meaning, gender, number and initial sound; strictly speaking, “des” is the plural indefinite article.
And it is not optional. “Je mange du pain” is the ordinary sentence; “je mange pain” does not exist. This is the rule that gets forgotten most at the start, because what is forgotten is not a hard word: it is putting in something that your own language does not have.
In a basic quantity negative, the forms become “de”, or “d’” before a vowel: “je mange du pain” → “je ne mange pas de pain”; “elle boit de l’eau” → “elle ne boit pas d’eau”. Gender no longer decides. Contrastive uses that retain the article are outside this first rule.
Watch out for a look-alike: “du” and “des” also turn up for a different reason, when “de” bumps into “le” or “les” and they merge. Same spelling, different job. You will meet that in the unit on contractions; for now it is enough to know that one form does two things.
Partitive system
| contexte | forme | modèle |
|---|---|---|
| masculin singulier | du | du pain |
| féminin singulier | de la | de la soupe |
| voyelle / h muet | de l' | de l'eau |
| pluriel | des | des légumes |
| négation de quantité | de / d' | pas de pain / pas d'eau |
How it sounds
- Je mange du pain tous les matins.“Pain” is not counted here, so it takes “du”.
- Elle boit de l'eau.“Eau” is feminine, but it starts with a vowel: “de l'”.
- Nous achetons des fruits au marché.Plural: “des”. And yes, it is the same form you will see in contractions.
- Je ne mange pas de viande.After a negative everything becomes “de”. Gender is irrelevant.
Check objective 1Another case
A proposed answer is “du” for this case: “Je bois du eau chaque matin.”. Choose the only valid form.
A proposed answer is “de la” for this case: “Je bois de la eau chaque matin.”. Choose the only valid form.
Answer available without interaction
Answer: de l' — Eau starts with a vowel, so the form elides.
“Eau” starts with a vowel, so the form elides.
Answer: de l' — Eau starts with a vowel, so the form elides.
“Eau” starts with a vowel, so the form elides.
Check objective 2Another case
Express a zero quantity with no contrast: Il ne mange pas ___ viande.
Express a zero quantity with no contrast: Il ne mange pas ___ viande.
Answer available without interaction
Answer: de — This basic quantity negative uses “de”, even though “viande” is feminine.
This basic quantity negative uses “de”, even though “viande” is feminine.
Answer: de — This basic quantity negative uses “de”, even though “viande” is feminine.
This basic quantity negative uses “de”, even though “viande” is feminine.
When it doesn't hold
What breaks the rule, said out loud. Hiding it is what makes you feel cheated in the exam.
- With the verb “être” the negative does not turn it into “de”: what is denied is the identification, not the quantity.Ce n'est pas du vin, c'est de l'eau.
- “Aimer”, “adorer” and “détester” take the definite article, not the partitive: they talk about coffee in general, not about an amount.J'aime le café, mais je bois du thé.
What your own language pushes you to say
Wrong Je mange pain et je bois eau.
Right Je mange du pain et je bois de l'eau.
English can leave a mass noun bare, as in “I eat bread”. In a basic affirmative French sentence, choose “du”, “de la” or “de l’”; use “des” for an indefinite plural.
Challenge: apply both rules
Solve both cases and justify each choice: 1) Una propuesta responde «du» a este caso: «Je bois du eau chaque matin.». Elige la única forma válida. 2) Una propuesta responde «de la» a este caso: «Il ne mange pas de la viande.». Elige la única forma válida.
Answer available without interaction
- Choose du, de la, de l’ or des according to gender, initial sound and number.
- Reduce the partitive to de after a basic negative.
Answer: de l' · de
“Eau” starts with a vowel, so the form elides. This basic quantity negative uses “de”, even though “viande” is feminine.
Curriculum alignment and sources
- CEFR A1 · elementary repertoire for concrete needs and very simple interaction. · Common European Framework of Reference for Languages: Companion Volume
- French-specific descriptions used to cross-check A1 language forms; the page selection remains editorial. · Reference Level Descriptions · French
- MCER como referencia; sin asignación estatal A1 por curso. · Real Decreto 217/2022, currículo básico de ESO
- 7.º ano alcanza A1.2 en este itinerario; A1.1 es subdivisión editorial. · Aprendizagens Essenciais · Francês · 7.º ano
- A1 al final de classe terza; A1.1/A1.2 son subdivisiones editoriales. · Decreto 9 dicembre 2025, n. 221 · nuove Indicazioni nazionali
Continue along this corridor
Practise this: The partitive: du, de la, desGender and the article: le, la, l', un, uneThe present tense and the explicit subjectTwo-part negation: ne… pas wraps around the verbAccents and the cedilla: they do not tell you where the stress fallsAu, aux, du, des: when à and de collide with the articleThe passé composé: two pieces and an auxiliary you have to choose