Exercises: Partitive Articles (du, de la, de l’, des)
Partitive Articles in French
Used to express uncountable quantities (like “some” or “any” in English):
- du = masculine singular (du pain = some bread)
- de la = feminine singular (de la confiture = some jam)
- de l’ = before vowels/silent h (de l’eau = some water)
- des = plural (des fruits = some fruits)
Exception: After negatives, use “de” (Je n’ai pas de lait).
Exercises
1. Fill in the blanks with du, de la, de l’, or des:
Je veux ___ croissants 🥐. →
Elle mange ___ fromage 🧀. →
Nous buvons ___ café ☕. →
Tu as ___ épinards 🥬 ? →
Il prend ___ glace 🍦. →
2. Correct the mistakes:
“Je veux de le sucre” →
“Elle a des lait” →
“Nous mangeons de la frites” →
3. Translate into French (use partitive articles!):
“I’d like some tea.” →
“She doesn’t eat any meat.” →
Key Notes:
- Remember: Use “de” after negatives (pas de, jamais de).
- Tip: If you can count it, use des; if not, use du/de la/de l’.
Example:
- Des pommes (countable) vs. Du riz (uncountable).