Défini ou Indéfini?

 

This discussion will help English speakers to determine which article to use. English does not always use an article in front of a noun. BUT 95% of the time nouns in French require an article to precede them.

I like dogs. (I like all dogs.)

J’aime les chiens

Dogs eat a lot.

Les chiens mangent beaucoup.

 

Use of the definite article (le, la, l', les).

  1. For generalizations with verbes like aimer, adorer, détester, préférer
    2.

    Je n’aime pas la viande.

    I don’t like meat.

    Je déteste les gens pénibles.

    I hate obnoxious people.

    Je préfère le rose.

    I prefer pink.

     

  2. Specified objects such as nouns with modifiers.

C’est le bureau de Marie.

That’s Marie’s desk.

Voilà la voiture du professeur.

There’s the prof’s car.

Le stylo est sur la table.

The pen’s on the table.

 

Consider this situation: You are one of my students, you are in the faculty parking lot, and you see my car: There is the teacher's car. Voilà la voiture du professeur.

The possessive 'de' is combined with the definite article 'le' to make 'du'.

Consider this situation: You are in the faculty parking lot and all the cars are gone but one.

Voilà la voiture d'un professeur

Translation: There's a teacher's car. It is "a teacher" because the teacher is indefinite. But the car has a definite article, because it has a possessive modifier:

 

 

Use of the indefinite article (un, une, des)

  1. When you can count the noun
    2.

    Il y a un bureau dans la salle de classe.

    There’s a desk in the classroom.

    Il y a des tables dans la salle de classe.

    There’s tables in the classroom.

    Je porte un pantalon et une chemise.

    I’m wearing pants and a shirt.

    BUT: negatives use 'de' or 'd'

    		  

    Il n'y a pas de lions dans la salle de classe.

    There are no lions in the classroom.

    Il n'y a pas d'hibous dans la salle de classe.

    There aren't any owls in the classroom.

    Use of the indefinite article implies that it is one in a series.

    Consider this situation: You’re a student of mine, you know I have two cars, and in the faculty parking lot, you see one of my cars:

    Voilà une voiture du professeur; l'autre voiture est chez elle.

    Translation: There's one of the professor's cars; the other car is at her house.

    For articles of clothing, for example, you use the indefinite article:

    Je porte un pantalon et une chemise.

    It would be odd in English to say, I'm wearing the pants and the shirt.

    Je porte le pantalon et la chemise. ?????

    The only circumstance where you might use the definite article is if you meant:

    I'm wearing the pants and the shirt that I picked out this morning.

    Je porte le pantalon que j'ai choisi ce matin.

    Translation: I’m wearing the pants I chose this morning.

  2. The idea of 'some' or part of a category

Sometimes it’s difficult to know what article to use in French when no article is used in English.

Les légumes sont bons pour la santé. Vegetables are good for your health.

Des légumes sont bons pour la santé. Some vegetables are good for your health.

"Des légumes" means "some", in the sense that out of all the vegetables possible in the world, you are only talking about some of them.

  1. With avoir

    2. Les chiens sont bons, mais il y a des chiens qui sont méchants.

    Dogs are good, but there are (some) dogs who are mean.

  2. With aimer, détester

    3. J’aime les chats, mais je déteste les chats qui sont pénibles.

    I like cats, but I hate cats who are a pain.

  3. With être

J'suis le prof.

I’m the prof.

Je suis prof.

I am a prof.

Elle est la prof.

She’s the prof.

C'est une prof.

She's a prof.

For il/elle, ils/elles, no article is used with être when designating professions, nationalities.

Elle est prof.

She’s the prof.

C'est un prof.

She's a prof.

Elle est américaine.

She’s American.

C'est une Américaine.

She’s an American