A2 · Elementary Chapter 40

Partitive Articles & Quantities

8 Total Rules
84 examples
1 min
Rules in This Chapter Quick Practice

Chapter in 30 Seconds

Master the art of measuring, counting, and describing quantities in French with confidence.

  • Use partitive articles to talk about food and substances.
  • Apply quantity adverbs to express amounts precisely.
  • Master the transformation of articles into 'de' during negation.
Quantify your world in perfect French.

What You'll Learn

Partitive articles, quantities, and articles after negation.

Learning Objectives

By the end of this chapter, you will be able to:

  1. 1
    By the end you will be able to: correctly use partitive articles and 'de' in negative contexts.

Key Examples (8)

1

Je n'ai pas d'argent pour le taxi.

I don't have any money for the taxi.

French Articles After Negation (de / d')
2

Elle est végétarienne, elle ne mange pas de viande.

She is vegetarian, she doesn't eat meat.

French Articles After Negation (de / d')
3

Je voudrais commander du poulet avec UberEats.

I would like to order some chicken with UberEats.

Some & Any: French Partitive Articles (du, de la, des)
4

Elle a mis de la musique sur sa story Instagram.

She put some music on her Instagram story.

Some & Any: French Partitive Articles (du, de la, des)
5

Je voudrais du café, s'il vous plaît.

I would like some coffee, please.

Partitive Articles (du, de la, des): Saying 'some' in French
6

Est-ce qu'il y a de la pizza dans le frigo ?

Is there any pizza in the fridge?

Partitive Articles (du, de la, des): Saying 'some' in French
7

J'ai beaucoup de travail cette semaine.

I have a lot of work this week.

French Quantity Adverbs: Beaucoup, Peu, Trop (de)
8

Il y a trop de filtres sur cette photo !

There are too many filters on this photo!

French Quantity Adverbs: Beaucoup, Peu, Trop (de)

Tips & Tricks (4)

💡

Check the verb

Always check if the verb is 'être'. If it is, don't use 'de'!
frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: French Articles After Negation (de / d')
💡

The Negative Rule

Always remember that 'du', 'de la', and 'des' become 'de' in negative sentences.
frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Some & Any: French Partitive Articles (du, de la, des)
💡

Check the gender

Always know if your noun is masculine or feminine before choosing du or de la.
frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Partitive Articles (du, de la, des): Saying 'some' in French
💡

The Vowel Rule

Always check if the next word starts with a vowel. If it does, use 'd'' instead of 'de'.
frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: French Quantity Adverbs: Beaucoup, Peu, Trop (de)

Key Vocabulary (6)

du some (masc.) de la some (fem.) beaucoup a lot peu a little trop too much de of (after negation/quantifiers)

Real-World Preview

shopping-basket

At the Market

Review Summary

  • ne + verb + pas + de + noun
  • du (m), de la (f), de l' (vowel), des (pl)

Common Mistakes

In negative sentences, the partitive article 'du' always changes to 'de'.

Wrong: Je ne mange pas du pain.
Correct: Je ne mange pas de pain.

Quantifiers like 'beaucoup' are followed by 'de', not a partitive article.

Wrong: J'ai beaucoup du travail.
Correct: J'ai beaucoup de travail.

Verbs of preference (aimer, adorer) use definite articles, not partitives.

Wrong: J'aime du café.
Correct: J'aime le café.

Rules in This Chapter (8)

1

French Articles After Negation (de / d')

A2
After ne...pas, partitive and indefinite articles always change to de or d', except with the verb être.
Je n'ai pas d'argent pour le taxi.
11 examples
2

Some & Any: French Partitive Articles (du, de la, des)

A2
Use partitive articles to talk about 'some' of something uncountable, but switch to de after negation.
Je voudrais commander du poulet avec UberEats.
10 examples
3

Partitive Articles (du, de la, des): Saying 'some' in French

A2
Use partitive articles for unspecified portions of mass nouns, and always switch to de after a negation.
Je voudrais du café, s'il vous plaît.
10 examples
4

French Quantity Adverbs: Beaucoup, Peu, Trop (de)

A2
In French, adverbs of quantity always take a fixed 'de', regardless of the noun's gender or number.
J'ai beaucoup de travail cette semaine.
10 examples
5

French Numbers & Nouns: Counting Items (1, 2, 3...)

A2
Numbers act as direct determiners in French, eliminating the need for articles or the word 'de'.
J'ai trois nouveaux messages sur WhatsApp.
12 examples
6

French Quantity Expressions (beaucoup de, trop de)

A2
Always use 'de' after quantity expressions, regardless of the noun's gender or number, except before vowels where it's 'd'.
J'ai beaucoup de travail aujourd'hui.
11 examples
7

Negative Sentences with 'de' (Zero Quantity)

A2
Always replace partitive or indefinite articles with de in negative sentences, except when using the verb être.
Je n'ai pas de monnaie sur moi.
10 examples
8

French Articles: 'The' vs 'Some' (Partitive vs Definite)

A2
Definite articles mean 'all' or 'the'; partitive articles mean 'some' or 'a portion'.
J'adore le chocolat, mais je ne mange pas de choco...
10 examples

Next Steps

You have officially finished the A2 level! Take a moment to celebrate your hard work. You are ready to communicate in real-world French scenarios.

Write a weekly menu in French using partitives.

Continue to: Organizing and Refining Your Speech

Quick Practice (10)

Fix the error.

Find and fix the mistake:

J'ai deux pomme.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: J'ai deux pommes
Pluralize the noun.

frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: French Numbers & Nouns: Counting Items (1, 2, 3...)

Choose the correct article.

Il a ___ patience.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: de la
Patience is feminine.

frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Some & Any: French Partitive Articles (du, de la, des)

Fill in the blank.

J'ai ___ de travail.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: de
Quantity + de + Noun.

frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: French Quantity Expressions (beaucoup de, trop de)

Correct the sentence.

Find and fix the mistake:

Je ne mange pas du pain.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: Je ne mange pas de pain.
Negative requires 'de'.

frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: French Articles: 'The' vs 'Some' (Partitive vs Definite)

Choose the correct article.

Elle a ___ patience.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: de la
Patience is feminine.

frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Partitive Articles (du, de la, des): Saying 'some' in French

Fill in the blank with the correct form.

Je n'ai pas ___ voiture.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: de
Negative sentences require 'de'.

frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Negative Sentences with 'de' (Zero Quantity)

Fill in the blank.

Je mange ___ pain.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: du
Pain is masculine.

frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Some & Any: French Partitive Articles (du, de la, des)

Find the error.

Find and fix the mistake:

Ce n'est pas de voiture.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: Ce n'est pas une voiture.
'Être' does not trigger the 'de' rule.

frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Negative Sentences with 'de' (Zero Quantity)

Fill in the blank with the correct partitive.

Je mange ___ pain.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: du
Pain is masculine.

frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Partitive Articles (du, de la, des): Saying 'some' in French

Fix the error

Find and fix the mistake:

Elle a beaucoup des idées.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: Elle a beaucoup d'idées.
Use 'd'' before a vowel.

frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: French Quantity Adverbs: Beaucoup, Peu, Trop (de)

Score: /10

Common Questions (6)

It's a grammatical rule to simplify the negative structure.
Almost all, except 'être'.
It's a grammatical rule in French. The partitive article is replaced by 'de' when the verb is negated.
Yes, 'des' is the plural form of the partitive article.
Use 'du' for a portion (some), use 'le' for the whole thing (general).
Yes, it becomes 'de'.
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Prepositions: Place, Time & Direction
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Organizing and Refining Your Speech
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