All grammar

In short

"Some" is du, de la, de l' or des, and French can't leave it out: Je voudrais du pain. After a quantity, use only de: un kilo de pommes, beaucoup de fromage, une bouteille d'eau. For things in general, after aimer or détester, use le, la, l', les.

Grammar

Partitive articles du, de la, des

Use the partitive article to mean 'some' or 'an amount of' something you cannot count or are not naming precisely: du (masculine: du pain), de la (feminine: de la viande), de l' (before a vowel: de l'eau) and des (plural: des légumes). English often leaves 'some' out ('I would like bread'), but French always needs the article: Je voudrais du pain.

Compare with the definite article. J'aime le fromage talks about cheese in general, while Je voudrais du fromage means some cheese now. After a quantity, the article disappears and you use de: un kilo de pommes, beaucoup de fromage, une bouteille d'eau.

A classic mistake is saying je voudrais pain or je voudrais de pain. Always pick du, de la, de l' or des, according to the gender and number of the noun.

dumasculine singulardu pain
de lafeminine singularde la viande
de l'before a vowelde l'eau
despluraldes légumes

Je voudrais du pain.

I would like some bread.

Il y a de la viande dans la cuisine.

There is some meat in the kitchen.

Je voudrais de l'eau, s'il vous plaît.

I would like some water, please.

Nous avons des pâtes.

We have pasta.

Je voudrais un kilo de pommes.

I would like a kilo of apples.

Traps to avoid

  • Je voudrais pain.

    Je voudrais du pain.

    English can drop "some", but a French noun needs its article. Choose du, de la, de l' or des by gender and number.

  • Un kilo des pommes.

    Un kilo de pommes.

    After a quantity, the article disappears and only de remains, whatever the noun's gender or number.

  • J'aime du fromage.

    J'aime le fromage.

    "Some" is for an amount you are having or buying. To talk about cheese in general, as with aimer, use the definite article.

Drill it

From the lesson Groceries. Type each answer, no multiple choice. 20 drills on this rule.

Je voudrais pain.

I would like some bread.

Il y a viande dans la cuisine.

There is some meat in the kitchen.

Je voudrais eau, s'il vous plaît.

I would like some water, please.

Nous avons légumes.

We have vegetables.

Il y a lait dans le frigo.

There is some milk in the fridge.

Un kilo pommes, s'il vous plaît.

A kilo of apples, please.