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The is the only form the definite article takes in English, but in French it varies, depending on whether the noun it precedes is masculine or feminine, and singular or plural.
| the |
Masculine |
Feminine |
|
Singular |
le,
l' + vowel or mute h
le stylo (the pen)
l'ordinateur (the computer) |
la, l' + vowel or mute h
la page (the page)
l'imprimante (the printer) |
|
Plural |
les
les stylos (the pens)
les_ordinateurs (the computers) |
les
les pages (the pages)
les_imprimantes (the printers) |
When le or les immediately follows de (of, from... ) or à (to, at, in... ), the two words combine into what is called a contracted form in the following ways:
|
+
|
le |
les |
| de
|
du
la clé du coffre (the key to the boot)
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des
le prix des consommations (the price of drinks)
|
| à
|
au
j'y vais au printemps (I go there in the Spring)
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aux
j' habite aux Etats-Unis (I live in the States)
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de + la or l', and à + la or l' do not change
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There are some important ways in which the use of the definite article differs between French and English. In French it is found:
with abstract nouns, which deal with ideas and concepts:
L'honnêteté est une qualité fondamentale (Honesty is an essential virtue)
Le froid conserve les aliments (Cold preserves food)
NB: this is not the case in set phrases with avec or sans and avoir such as sans danger (safe, safely), avec plaisir (with pleasure) or avoir froid (be cold)
with concrete nouns, which deal with more tangible objects, when these are used in a general sense to indicate all items or instances of a particular type:
Il n'aime pas les carottes (He doesn't like carrots)
Je préfère le vin rouge (I prefer red wine)
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