1 – Bonjour et bienvenue!
Grammaire: 1.4 – Les articles définis
Un article défini = a definite article
1. Forms:
In French, few nouns can stand alone. Most need to be introduced or ‘determined’ by an article. As in English, an article is characterized as either definite (‘the’) or indefinite (‘a’, ‘an’). In addition, French articles are also masculine or feminine, singular or plural, according to the gender and number of the noun they determine. Here are the definite articles in French:
| masculine singular: le (l’) | |
| Tex le tatou Joe-Bob l’écureuil |
Tex the armadillo Joe-Bob the squirrel |
| feminine singular: la (l’) | |
| Bette la chatte l’Université du Texas |
Bette the cat (female) The University of Texas |
| masculine and feminine plural: les | |
| les tatous les écureuils les chats les universités |
the armadillos the squirrels the cats the universities |
2. Pronunciation: élision and liaison
In the examples above, note that le and la both become l’ when they precede a noun beginning with a vowel or a silent h: l’escargot, l’université. This is called elision.
Unlike le and la, les does not have a contracted, reduced form. When les is followed by a word starting with a vowel, the normally silent final s of les is pronounced, making a /z/ sound. This additional sound linking two words is called liaison. Listen to the following examples:
| Compulsory liaison with a vowel or silent h | No liaison with a consonant |
| les insectes les animaux les hommes |
les tatous les fourmis |
Note that elision and liaison occur with most words starting with h: l’homme, les hommes, l’hiver, les hivers. Exceptions to this rule are words beginning with an aspirate ‘h’.
3. Usages:
to identify a specific noun
The definite article is used to identify a specific noun or to refer to a noun that has already been specified.
| Corey: Tu connais la tour de l’Université du Texas? | Corey: Do you know the UT Tower? |
| Tex: Bien sûr, c’est le symbole de l’Université! | Tex: Of course, it is the symbol of the University! |
to express likes and dislikes
The French also use the definite article with verbs of preference, such as aimer, préférer, détester. Once again, English omits the article in such general statements. For example:
| Tex adore les croissants. | Tex loves croissants. |
| Joe-Bob préfère les doughnuts. | Joe-Bob prefers doughnuts. |
| Tammy n’aime pas le café. | Tammy does not like coffee. |
| Edouard apprécie la bonne cuisine française. | Edouard appreciates good French cuisine. |
4. Exceptions: no article needed
Cities usually do not require an article in French:
| Tex habite à Austin, mais il préfère Paris. |
Tex lives in Austin, but he prefers Paris. |
Months never require an article:
| Cependant Tex adore mars à Austin. | Nevertheless Tex adores March in Austin. |
Days of the week do not require an article in instances where they do not indicate habitual recurrence.
| Lundi, il a rendez-vous avec Tammy. | Monday he has a date with Tammy. |
