Some and any
du, de la, des, and de after a negation.
French needs an article for "some" of something, even where English says nothing. For things you don't count, it uses the partitive article: de with the definite article.
- I'm drinking coffee.
- She's eating soup.
- Do you want some water?
- He's buying fruit.
Some, or in general?
Verbs of liking take the definite article, since they're about the thing in general: aimer, adorer, détester, préférer. Verbs of having, eating, buying and wanting usually take the partitive, since they're about some of it.
- I like tea, but I drink coffee.
de after a negation
After ne … pas and the other negations, un, une, des, du and de la all become de, or d' before a vowel.
- I don't have a car.
- He doesn't drink coffee.
- There's no more water.
With être, the article stays, since nothing is being counted: Ce n'est pas un problème.
de after quantities
Words of quantity take de alone, without the article: beaucoup de, un peu de, trop de, assez de, plus de, and measures like un kilo de, une bouteille de, un verre de.
- There are a lot of people.
- I'd like a glass of water.
Cards from this guide
8 cardsEach card asks about one thing this guide teaches, and its back gives the answer with why and an example. They're reviewed with the rest of the Nouns and adjectives cards.
How do you say "I'm drinking coffee"?
Je bois du café.
Which partitive goes with eau?
de l': de l'eau.
Why J'aime le café but Je bois du café?
Liking is about coffee in general; drinking is about some coffee.
What does du become after ne … pas?
de: Je ne bois pas de café.
How do you say "She doesn't have any children"?
Elle n'a pas d'enfants.
When does the article stay after a negation?
After être: Ce n'est pas un chat.
What follows beaucoup before a noun?
de alone: beaucoup de gens.
How do you say "a glass of water"?
un verre d'eau.