Indefinite Articles in French

Indefinite articles in French (les articles indéfinis) correspond to “a,” “an,” or “some” in English. They are used to refer to nonspecific or undefined nouns and are essential for basic communication.

1. Forms of Indefinite Articles

French indefinite articles change based on the gender (masculine or feminine) and number (singular or plural) of the noun they modify:

2. Usage of Indefinite Articles

1. For Singular, Undefined Nouns:
   Use un or une to indicate one nonspecific item.
   • J’ai un livre. (I have a book.)
   • Elle veut une pomme. (She wants an apple.)
2. For Plural, Undefined Nouns:
   Use des to refer to more than one nonspecific item. It translates to “some” or can be omitted in English.
   • Ils ont des amis. (They have (some) friends.)
   • Nous avons des idées. (We have (some) ideas.)
3. With Professions or Roles:
   When describing someone’s profession or role, indefinite articles are often omitted in French.
   • Elle est médecin. (She is a doctor.)
   • Il est professeur. (He is a teacher.)

3. Negative Sentences

In negative sentences, un, une, and des change to de or d’ (before a vowel sound).

• J’ai un chien. → Je n’ai pas de chien. (I don’t have a dog.)
• Elle a une idée. → Elle n’a pas d’idée. (She doesn’t have an idea.)

4. Indefinite Articles vs. Definite Articles

While indefinite articles (un, une, des) refer to nonspecific items, definite articles (le, la, les) refer to specific items that are known to the speaker and listener.

• Un chat est sur le canapé. (A cat is on the sofa.)
• Le chat est noir. (The cat is black.)

5. Examples in Sentences

• Il achète un vélo. (He is buying a bike.)
• Nous avons une maison à la campagne. (We have a house in the countryside.)
• Ils mangent des fruits. (They are eating some fruits.)
• Elle n’a pas de stylo. (She doesn’t have a pen.)

Tips for Mastery

• Practice with gendered nouns to become familiar with un (masculine) and une (feminine).
• Remember the change to de in negative sentences.
• Use des for plural nouns unless the sentence is negative.

You can take the multiple-choice quiz.

The French indefinite articles “un” (masculine), “une” (feminine), and “des” (plural) are used to generally talk about objects or people. Choose the correct indefinite article in the following exercise.