du (de + le)
Contraction De + Le = Du
In French, you cannot say 'de le' before a masculine singular noun starting with a consonant. It must contract into du.
How It Works
The word du is a contracted article (article contracté). It is used when the preposition de (meaning of, from, or about) is followed by the masculine singular definite article le.
Key Rules:
- Mandatory Use: You must use du before masculine singular nouns starting with a consonant or an aspirated H (e.g., du café, du héros). Similarly, de + les always becomes des for plural nouns.
- The Vowel Exception: If the noun starts with a vowel or a silent H, the contraction does not happen. Instead, use de l' (e.g., de l'aéroport).
- Negation: Unlike partitive articles, the contracted du remains du in negative sentences. Example: Il ne parle pas du film (He is not talking about the movie).
- Proper Nouns: Do not contract with surnames (le livre de Le Pen). However, you must contract with specific place names that include an article, like Le Havre (e.g., Je viens du Havre).
- Pronoun Exception: If 'le' is a direct object pronoun (meaning 'him' or 'it') rather than an article, do not contract it. For example: J'ai besoin de le voir (I need to see him/it).
Examples (4)
- La porte du garage est ouverte.
The garage door is open.
Word by Word: The door of the garage is open.
Here, 'de' + 'le garage' becomes 'du garage' to show possession/relationship.
- Il revient du travail à dix-huit heures.
He is returning from work at 6:00 PM.
Word by Word: He returns from the work at eighteen hours.
The preposition 'de' (from) contracts with 'le travail' (the work) to become 'du'.
- C'est le fils du héros.
It is the hero's son.
Word by Word: It is the son of the hero.
Because 'héros' starts with an aspirated H, the contraction 'du' is required.
- Je parle du livre.
I am talking about the book.
Word by Word: I speak of the book.
The verb 'parler de' requires the preposition 'de', which contracts with 'le livre'.
Common Mistakes
Using 'de le' before a masculine noun.
Le sac de le garçon.Le sac du garçon.In French, 'de le' is grammatically incorrect when 'le' is an article. You must use the contraction 'du'.
Incorrectly changing 'du' to 'de' in negative sentences.
Il ne revient pas de parc.Il ne revient pas du parc.Unlike the partitive article du (some), the contracted 'du' (of the) does not change to 'de' after a negation.
Contracting 'de' with the pronoun 'le'.
Il est important du faire.Il est important de le faire.When 'le' is a pronoun meaning 'it' or 'him', it never contracts with 'de'. Only the article 'le' (the) contracts.
How It Connects
Learn This First
To understand the contraction 'du', a learner must first be familiar with the masculine definite article 'le' and the concept of grammatical gender, as this contraction only occurs with masculine singular nouns.
Related Patterns
- de (provenance / appartenance)Origin, Possession with De
The base preposition used to form this contraction.
Level 1 - des (de + les)Contraction De + Les = Des
The plural equivalent of the 'du' contraction.
Level 1 - au (à + le)Contraction a + Le = Au
A similar contraction involving the preposition 'à' instead of 'de'.
Level 1 - du (article partitif)Partitive Article Du
A grammatically different but identical-looking word meaning 'some'.
Level 1 - l'Elided Definite Article L'
The form used instead of 'du' when the noun starts with a vowel.
Level 1
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Patterns that build on this one.
Words in This Pattern
Practice du (de + le) in Bubblegum
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