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French Articles: le, la, and les
French definite articles are le, la, les, and l'. le is masculine singular, la is feminine singular, and les is the plural for both. l' replaces le or la before a vowel sound or a mute h.
Which article to use
| Article | Use | Example |
|---|---|---|
| le | masculine singular | le livre — the book |
| la | feminine singular | la maison — the house |
| l' | singular before a vowel sound | l'eau — the water |
| les | plural, any gender | les livres — the books |
How to use them
- l'eau uses l' because eau starts with a vowel sound. The noun is still feminine, so the phrase de l'eau keeps that gender.
- du, de la, de l', and des are partitive articles. They often mean some, and they are not the same as le, la, and les.
- un and une are the indefinite articles: un livre, une maison.
Common mistakes
- Writing le eau instead of l'eau.
- Using du whenever English says some, even when the noun needs de la or de l'.
Common questions
- What are the French words for the?
- le, la, les, and l' before a vowel sound.
- What is the difference between le and du?
- le means the. du is the masculine partitive, often meaning some.
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