du (article partitif)
Partitive Article Du
The partitive article du is used for masculine singular nouns to mean 'some' or 'any' when referring to an uncountable quantity or a substance.
How It Works
The partitive article du is a contraction of the preposition de and the definite article le. It serves several specific functions:
- Uncountable Substances: Used for food, liquids, or materials where you aren't counting individual units (e.g., du pain - some bread).
- Abstract Qualities: Used for concepts like du courage (some courage) or du talent (some talent).
- Activities: Often used with the verb faire to describe hobbies or sports (e.g., faire du sport).
Important Phonological Rule: If the masculine noun starts with a vowel or a mute 'h', du changes to de l' to make pronunciation smoother (e.g., de l'argent instead of du argent).
Verbs of Preference: Be careful! When you talk about general likes or dislikes using verbs like 'aimer' (to like/love), 'adorer' (to adore), or 'détester' (to hate), you must use the definite article le instead of du (e.g., J'aime le café).
Negation and Quantity: In a negative sentence, du usually changes to de (e.g., Je ne mange pas de pain). However, this change does not happen with the verb être (e.g., Ce n'est pas du pain). Similarly, when using expressions of quantity like beaucoup (a lot) or trop (too much), you must use de instead of du (e.g., beaucoup de pain).
Examples (4)
- Je voudrais du fromage, s'il vous plaît.
I would like some cheese, please.
Word by Word: I would-like some cheese, if it you pleases.
'Fromage' is a masculine singular noun starting with a consonant, so we use 'du' to indicate an unspecified amount.
- Il faut du temps pour apprendre le français.
It takes time to learn French.
Word by Word: It is-necessary some time for to-learn the French.
'Temps' (time) is an abstract masculine noun. Even though English uses no article, French requires 'du'.
- Est-ce qu'il y a encore du soleil ?
Is there still some sun?
Word by Word: Is it that it there has still some sun?
'Soleil' is masculine singular. We use 'du' to refer to the presence of sunlight.
- Mon frère fait du piano tous les jours.
My brother plays the piano every day.
Word by Word: My brother does some piano all the days.
When using 'faire' for instruments or sports, the partitive 'du' is used for masculine nouns.
Common Mistakes
Using 'du' after expressions of quantity.
J'ai beaucoup du travail.J'ai beaucoup de travail.After expressions of quantity like 'beaucoup' (a lot), 'trop' (too much), or 'peu' (little), the partitive article 'du' is replaced by 'de' (or 'd'').
Using 'du' with verbs of preference like 'aimer'.
J'aime du fromage.J'aime le fromage.When expressing likes or dislikes with verbs like 'aimer' (to love) or 'détester' (to hate), you must use the definite article le instead of the partitive article 'du'.
Changing 'du' to 'de' after 'être' in a negative sentence.
Ce n'est pas de pain.Ce n'est pas du pain.While 'du' usually changes to de in negative sentences, this rule does not apply when using the verb être.
How It Connects
Learn This First
To understand the partitive article 'du', you first need to be familiar with the concept of grammatical gender and the masculine definite article 'le', as 'du' is its contracted form used for masculine nouns. Knowledge of basic indefinite articles helps distinguish between a whole unit and an unspecified quantity.
- le (article défini)Definite Article Le (Masculine)
The partitive article 'du' is a contraction of the preposition 'de' and the masculine definite article 'le'.
Level 1 - unIndefinite Article Un (Masculine)
Learners should understand basic articles and how they quantify nouns before moving to the partitive concept of unspecified amounts.
Level 1
Related Patterns
- de laPartitive Article De La
This is the feminine equivalent of 'du', used for feminine singular nouns.
Level 1 - de l'Elided Partitive Article De L'
Used instead of 'du' or 'de la' when the noun starts with a vowel or mute 'h'.
Level 1 - des (article partitif)Partitive Article Des (Plural)
The plural form used for both masculine and feminine nouns.
Level 1 - pas deArticles Become De After Negation
Explains why 'du' changes to 'de' in negative sentences.
Level 1 - du (de + le)Contraction De + Le = Du
The partitive 'du' looks identical to the contraction of 'de + le' (meaning 'of the'), but they serve different grammatical functions.
Level 1
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Practice du (article partitif) in Bubblegum
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