de l'

Elided Partitive Article De L'

Level 1

The elided partitive article de l' is used for unspecified quantities of uncountable things (like water or money) when the noun starts with a vowel or a mute 'h'.

How It Works

The partitive article de l' serves a specific grammatical and phonological purpose:

Function: It indicates an indefinite amount of a mass noun (something you can't count individually). It often translates to 'some' in English.
Phonological Rule: It is an elision. It replaces du or de la to avoid a 'clash' between two vowel sounds.
Usage Conditions: It must be followed by a singular noun starting with a vowel (a, e, i, o, u, y) or a mute h (like in huile).
Negation: In a negative sentence, the article usually becomes the preposition de (eliding to d'). Exception: It remains de l' after the verb être (e.g., Ce n'est pas de l'or).
Quantity: After adverbs of quantity (like beaucoup or un peu), the article is replaced by de, which elides to d' (e.g., beaucoup d'eau).
The Exception: It is not used before an 'aspirated h'. For example, we say de la haine, not de l'haine.

Examples (5)

Je bois de l'eau.
I am drinking (some) water.
Word by Word: I drink of the water.
'Eau' is feminine, but because it starts with a vowel, 'de la' becomes 'de l'.'
Il a de l'argent.
He has (some) money.
Word by Word: He has of the money.
'Argent' is masculine, but because it starts with a vowel, 'du' becomes 'de l'.'
Elle ajoute de l'huile dans la poêle.
She adds (some) oil to the pan.
Word by Word: She adds of the oil in the pan.
'Huile' starts with a mute h, so we use the elided form 'de l'.'
Il faut de l'ail pour cette recette.
Some garlic is needed for this recipe.
Word by Word: It must of the garlic for this recipe.
'Ail' (garlic) is a masculine uncountable noun starting with a vowel.
Tu as de l'espoir.
You have (some) hope.
Word by Word: You have of the hope.
Abstract uncountable nouns like 'espoir' also use the partitive article.

Common Mistakes

Using 'de la' or 'du' before a vowel because you know the noun's gender.
Je veux de la eau.
Je veux de l'eau.
Even if you know 'eau' is feminine, French requires elision (de l') before a vowel to make pronunciation smoother.
Keeping 'de l'' in a negative sentence with most verbs.
Je n'ai pas de l'argent.
Je n'ai pas d'argent.
In negative sentences, partitive articles usually become the preposition de (which elides to d' before a vowel). However, they stay the same after the verb être.
Using 'de l'' after an adverb of quantity.
J'ai beaucoup de l'argent.
J'ai beaucoup d'argent.
After adverbs of quantity like 'beaucoup' or 'trop', the partitive article is replaced by de, which elides to d' before a vowel.

How It Connects

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de l'Level 1Elided Partitive Article De L'

Learn This First

To understand 'de l'', you first need to understand the general concept of partitive articles (du, de la) used for uncountable quantities, and the phonetic rule of elision which dictates dropping a vowel before a word starting with a vowel or silent 'h'.

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