Basic French Grammar Topics
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Course Content
French Greetings3 Topics -
Subject Pronouns3 Topics
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The Verb "to be"4 Topics
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The Verb "to have"3 Topics
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Negative Sentences3 Topics
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The Definite Article3 Topics
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The Indefinite Article3 Topics
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Zero Article3 Topics
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Partitive Articles3 Topics
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Adjectives4 Topics
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The Order of Adjectives3 Topics
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-ER Verbs (present)3 Topics
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Possessive Adjectives3 Topics
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Interrogatives4 Topics
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-IR Verbs (present tense)3 Topics
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-RE Verbs (present tense)3 Topics
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Possession3 Topics
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The Verb "to make" "to do"3 Topics
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Weather Expressions4 Topics
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Numbers 1-1004 Topics
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The Date3 Topics
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Telling Time3 Topics
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The Expression "there is" "there are"3 Topics
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The Verb "to go"2 Topics
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The Near Future3 Topics
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The Expression "it is necessary"3 Topics
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Demonstrative Adjectives3 Topics
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Possessive Pronouns3 Topics
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The Verb "to put"3 Topics
Participants 257
Lesson-French The Indefinite Article
Stephen Sovenyhazy March 17, 2024
An indefinite article is used to define an unspecified/unquantified noun. In English, indefinite articles translate to “a/an,” “some,” or “any.” Just like definite articles, the form of the indefinite article that you choose depends on the gender and number of the person or object that you are referring to.
Indefinite Article | Label | Example | Translation |
un | Masculine singular | un chapeau | a hat |
une | Feminine singular | une chemise | a man’s shirt |
des | Plural for “some” | des chaussures | some shoes |
Indefinite articles in negative sentences
We learned previously that in order to negate a sentence, you have to sandwich the “ne” and “pas” around the verb. Notice the change in the indefinite article in these examples of affirmative and negative sentences.
Affirmative: J’ai une cravate. I have a tie.
Negative: Je n’ai pas de cravate. I don’t have any tie.
Affirmative: J’ai des bottes. I have some boots.
Negative: Je n’ai pas de bottes. I don’t have any boots.
Affirmative: J’ai une écharpe. I have a scarf.
Negative: Je n’ai pas d’écharpe. I don’t have any scarf.
In a negative sentence, the indefinite article always changes to de to signify the English word, “any” (even when the noun is plural).
Notes:
- Just like definite articles, you must identify the gender and number of the word that you are defining by an indefinite article. For example, if you want to say “I have an exam tomorrow,” you must first determine the gender of the word exam, or examen, in French. When you learn that examen is masculine singular, you know that the sentence should be translated to, J’ai un examen demain.
- When des is used in front of a noun that begins with a vowel, the –s on the end is pronounced with a /z/ sound to create a liaison between the indefinite article and the following word.