de la

Partitive Article De La

Level 1

The partitive article de la is used for feminine singular nouns that represent an unspecified quantity of something you cannot count (like water, luck, or flour).

How It Works

The partitive article de la is essential for talking about portions of a whole.

1. When to use it:
Use it with feminine singular nouns that are uncountable (mass nouns) or abstract concepts.
Example: de la viande (some meat), de la patience (some patience).

2. The 'Vowel' Exception:
If the feminine noun starts with a vowel or a silent 'h', de la changes to de l' to make pronunciation smoother. This is called elision.
Example: de l'eau (some water).

3. Partitive vs. Definite:
Be careful not to confuse de la with the definite article la.

  • J'aime la soupe. (I like soup in general.)
  • Je mange de la soupe. (I am eating some soup right now.)

4. Negation and Quantities:
In most negative sentences, de la changes to de. Check out pas de after negation for more details. However, if the verb is être, the article does not change: Ce n'est pas de la confiture.

Additionally, de la is replaced by de after adverbs of quantity like beaucoup (a lot), trop (too much), or peu (little).
Example: J'ai beaucoup de chance.

Examples (4)

  1. Je voudrais de la confiture, s'il vous plaît.

    I would like some jam, please.

    Word by Word: I would like of the jam, if it you pleases.

    'Confiture' is a feminine noun. Since we want an unspecified amount of jam, we use 'de la'.

  2. Il faut avoir de la chance pour gagner.

    One must have luck to win.

    Word by Word: It must to have of the luck for to win.

    'Chance' is an abstract feminine noun. We use 'de la' because luck is uncountable.

  3. Elle achète de la farine au supermarché.

    She is buying some flour at the supermarket.

    Word by Word: She buys of the flour at the supermarket.

    Flour is a mass noun (feminine), so 'de la' indicates an indefinite quantity.

  4. Est-ce qu'il y a encore de la salade ?

    Is there still some salad?

    Word by Word: Is it that it there has still of the salad?

    Using 'de la' asks if any amount of the salad remains.

Common Mistakes

  • Using 'de la' after an adverb of quantity.

    J'ai beaucoup de la chance.
    J'ai beaucoup de chance.

    After adverbs of quantity like 'beaucoup' (a lot), 'trop' (too much), or 'peu' (little), 'de la' is replaced by 'de'.

  • Changing 'de la' to 'de' after negation with the verb 'être'.

    Ce n'est pas de soupe.
    Ce n'est pas de la soupe.

    While most verbs trigger a change to 'de' in the negative, the verb 'être' (to be) is an exception; you must keep the partitive article 'de la'.

  • Using 'de la' for general likes/dislikes.

    J'aime de la bière.
    J'aime la bière.

    When expressing a general preference, use the definite article la instead of the partitive 'de la'.

How It Connects

Tap a pattern to see what it builds on and what it leads to.

de laLevel 1Partitive Article De La

Learn This First

To understand 'de la', you must first be familiar with the feminine definite article 'la' and the concept of grammatical gender. It is also helpful to understand the masculine counterpart 'du' to grasp the general function of partitive articles in French.

Words in This Pattern

de la