Indefinite and Partitive Articles (un, une, des, du, de la)

In addition to the definite articles (le, la, l', les), French has indefinite articles and partitive articles. These are used to express "a/an," "some," or an unspecified quantity. Understanding when and how to use each type is essential for constructing accurate French sentences.

---

Indefinite Articles — Un, Une, Des

The indefinite articles correspond to English "a," "an," and "some" (in the sense of unspecified plural items).

Form	Gender/Number	English	Example
un	Masculine singular	a / an	un livre (a book)
une	Feminine singular	a / an	une maison (a house)
des	All plurals	some / —	des livres (books / some books)

When to Use Indefinite Articles

Use un/une/des when you are talking about non-specific or unidentified items — things that have not been mentioned before or that are not uniquely identified.