How do I differentiate between the articles le/la/les/un/une/des and when to use them?

These articles are used before a noun, the same way you would typically use the word "the" or "a" in English. Their use will depend on 2 characteristics of the noun they are used with: 1) Whether the thing/noun you are talking about is specific or unspecific. When discussing a specific object/person/place... you should use a definite article (le, las, les). For example, "I have an issue with my math exam paper and i need to talk to the math teacher." In this case the noun is definite -- the teacher is specific. When discussing an unspecific object/person/place... you should use an indefinite article (un, une, des.) For example, "I have an issue with my timetable and i need to talk to a teacher." This time, the noun is indefinite -- the teacher is unspecific, it could be any teacher2)Whether it is feminine, masculine, plural. For feminine nouns you would use : la, une. For masculine nouns you would use: le, un. When the noun is plural (no matter if it is feminine or masculine): les, des
(With the use of the whiteboard, I would provide a table to categorize the different articles)

SR
Answered by Soanavalona R. French tutor

5066 Views

See similar French GCSE tutors

Related French GCSE answers

All answers ▸

I didn't quite understood the difference between the active and passive voice in French, could you explain?


Ecrivez dans votre journal intime le récit de vos dernières vacances.


In French, does the adjective come before or after the noun which it describes?


"La piscine est située devant le club de jeunesse et derrière le phare". What directions have you been given?


We're here to help

contact us iconContact ustelephone icon+44 (0) 203 773 6020
Facebook logoInstagram logoLinkedIn logo

MyTutor is part of the IXL family of brands:

© 2025 by IXL Learning