The Partitive Article

Question 1

What does the partitive article refer to?

Answer 1

A part of a quantity that is measured rather than counted

Question 2

Countable objects are used with which articles?

Answer 2

Countable objects are used with the indefinite article un/une/des. In the plural they may include des pommes (apples), des petits pains (dinner rolls), des bouteilles (bottles), des œufs (eggs), etc.

Question 3

Measurable quantities used which articles?

Answer 3

Measurable quantities, such as food and drink used with the partitive ar- ticle, could be du sucre ([some] sugar), du lait ([some] milk), de la viande ([some] meat), de la glace ([some] ice cream), de l’eau (f.) ([some] water), or de la soupe ([some] soup), where an amount is measured out of a larger whole or a container.

Question 4

What are the partitive articles

Answer 4

The partitive article (du/de la/d’/des) is always used in French sentences, even when the word some is omitted in English.

• Je vais chercher du pain et des oranges. (I’m going to get (some) bread and (some) oranges.)
• Tu prépares de la soupe et du poisson ce soir? (Are you preparing soup and fish tonight?)

Question 5

What kind of nouns are expressed with partitive articles

Answer 5

Abstract nouns

• Ce candidat a de la confiance et du courage (This candidate has confidence and courage)

Question 6

How are partitive articles used with gender and number?

Answer 6

The partitive is always singular; it corresponds in gender to the noun it precedes. De l’ can be both feminine and masculine.

• Nous allons chercher… (We’re going to get…)
• du fromage (some) cheese
• de la glace (some) ice cream
• et de l’eau (f.) and (some) water

Question 7

Which verbs tend to be followed by partitive article

Answer 7

1. ) aller chercher (to go get)
2. ) prendre (to eat; to drink; to have)
3. ) manger (to eat)
4. ) commander (to order)
5. ) acheter (to buy)

Question 8

Which verbs tend to take the definite article (le/la/l’/les) rather than the partitive

Answer 8

1. ) aimer (to like, love)
2. ) aimer mieux (to prefer)
3. ) préférer (to prefer)
4. ) détester (to hate)

Question 9

In the negative, the partitive article reduces from du/de la/de l’ to…

Answer 9

De/d’

1a. ) Je prends du thé (I drink tea)
1b. ) Je ne prends pas de thé (I don’t drink tea)

2a. ) Tu manges de la viande (You eat meat)
2b. ) Tu ne manges pas de viande (You don’t eat meat)

Question 10

In the negatives the plural partitive articles reduce from des to…

Answer 10

De/d’ after a negative construction

1a. ) Serge commande des oeufs (Serge orders eggs)
1b. ) Serge ne commande pas d’oeufs (Serge doesn’t order eggs)

Question 11

Neither…nor…

And negative expression begins with ________ preceding each element

Answer 11

Ne…ni…ni…

This negative expression begins with ne/n’, and ni precedes each element negated.

*Je n’aime ni le poisson ni l’agneau (I like neither fish nor lamb [in general])

Question 12

What happens to the partitve article with ne…ni…ni…

Answer 12

The entire partitive article is omitted after a ne… ni… ni… construction.

1a. ) Je bois du thé et du café (I drink (both) tea and coffee)
1b. ) Je ne bois ni thé ni café (I drink neither tea nor coffee)

2.) Nous ne prenons ni beurre ni confiture (We have [eat] neither butter nor jam

Question 13

Partitive articles also reduces to de/d’ after all expression of…

Answer 13

Quantity

Question 14

Enough

Answer 14

Assez de

Question 15

A plate of

Answer 15

Une assiette de

Question 16

A lot, much, many

Answer 16

Beaucoup de

Question 17

A can of

Answer 17

Une boîte de

Question 18

A bottle of

Answer 18

Une bouteille de

Question 19

Kone hundred grams of

Answer 19

Cent grammes de

Question 20

A kilogram of

Answer 20

Un kilo de

Question 21

A liter of

Answer 21

Un litre de

Question 22

A pound of

Answer 22

Une livre de

Question 23

A little

Answer 23

Un peu de

Question 24

So much, many

Answer 24

Tant de

Question 25

A cup of

Answer 25

Une tasse de

Question 26

A spoonful of

Answer 26

Une cuillérée de

Question 27

A dozen

Answer 27

Une douzaine de

Question 28

Too much

Answer 28

Trop de

Question 29

A glass of

Answer 29

Un verre de

Question 30

How much

Answer 30

Combien de

Question 31

Which unmodified nouns and verbs use de/d’

Answer 31

• Avoir besoin de (to need, require)

* Avoir envie de (to wish, want)

Question 32

To need, require

Answer 32

Avoir besoin de

Question 33

To wish, want

Answer 33

Avoir envie de