French grammar: Indefinite and definite articles

What are articles?

Just like in English, French has indefinite and definite articles that come before a noun - for example, a or the.

In French, these articles can either be singular or plural and masculine or feminine depending on the noun.

Indefinite articles in French

We use indefinite articles before the noun when we are talking about something that's not specific. It's the same as using a, an or some in English, for example, a sandwich.

In French, nouns can be masculine or feminine, so if we want to say a, we use either un for masculine nouns or une for feminine nouns.

Here are some examples:

Definite articles in French

The definite article is used when we are talking about a specific noun. It is the same as saying the in English, for example, the cat.

To say the in French, there are a few different words depending on the noun:

• le is for masculine nouns
• la is for feminine nouns
• l’ is for masculine or feminine nouns that begin with a vowel or some words that begin with a h
• les is for plural nouns - when there is more than one item

Here are some examples:

How do you form plurals in French?

In English, if there is more than one thing, we normally add s to the end of a regular noun to make it plural. For example:

• one car
• two cars

In French, we also add s to most nouns to make them plural.

• la tablette – the tablet computer
• les tablettes – the tablet computers

If a noun ends in -s, -x or -z, it stays the same when there is more than one.

• le nez – the nose
• les nez – the noses

If a word ends in –al, you normally take off the l and add ux to make it plural:‎

• l'animal – the animal
• les animaux – the animals

Words ending in -eau and -eu have an x at the end when they become plural:‎

Key French words