French Partitive Articles: Du, De la, Des (The Rule You’ll Use Every Day)

French has a super practical way to say “some” without needing an extra word: partitive articles.

That’s why French learners quickly run into:

• Je bois du café. (I drink some coffee.)
• Je mange de la pizza. (I eat some pizza.)
• Je prends des pommes. (I take some apples.)

If you’ve been guessing between du / de la / des, you’re not alone. The system is actually very logical once you see the pattern.

In this guide you’ll learn:

• What a partitive article is (and why French needs it)
• The simple rule to choose du / de la / de l’ / des
• The big exception: negation (ne…pas) changes everything
• Common phrases that make you sound natural instantly

What partitives mean (in plain English)

Partitives usually mean:

• “some” (an unspecified amount)
• “any” (often in questions or negatives)

English often drops “some”:

• “I drink coffee.” (French: Je bois du café.)

French likes to mark that you’re talking about an uncountable thing (coffee, water, cheese) or an unspecified quantity (some apples).

The core rule: match the noun’s gender/number

Use:

• du + masculine singular noun
  du café, du pain, du fromage
• de la + feminine singular noun
  de la pizza, de la soupe, de la musique
• de l’ + singular noun starting with a vowel/h mute
  de l’eau, de l’huile, de l’orange
• des + plural noun
  des pommes, des amis, des idées

That’s it. It’s the same idea as le/la/les, just for “some.”

️ The fast way: countable vs uncountable

Another helpful lens:

• Uncountable “stuff” → usually du / de la / de l’
• Countable plural things → often des

Examples:

• du riz (rice)
• de la viande (meat)
• des tomates (tomatoes)

But remember: des doesn’t always mean “some” in English—it can also be “(plural) a/an” depending on context:

• J’ai des amis. (I have friends / some friends.)

️ The big rule learners miss: negatives change to “de”

With ne…pas (and similar negatives), French often changes:

• du / de la / de l’ / des → de (or d’ before vowel)

Examples:

• Je bois du café. → Je ne bois pas de café.
• Elle mange de la viande. → Elle ne mange pas de viande.
• On a des pommes. → On n’a pas de pommes.

This is one of the most important “everyday French” rules.

Why does French do this?

Think of it as: in negatives, French switches to “any.”

• I don’t drink any coffee. → Je ne bois pas de café.

Questions: do you keep the partitive?

In many basic questions, yes:

• Tu veux du café ? (Do you want some coffee?)
• Vous avez des idées ? (Do you have any ideas?)

So:

• Question: keep du/de la/des
• Negative: switch to de/d’

That pairing is a great memory anchor.

Common high‑frequency examples (steal these)

Food & drink:

• du café (coffee)
• du thé (tea)
• de l’eau (water)
• du pain (bread)
• du fromage (cheese)
• de la salade (salad)
• des fruits (fruit)

Abstract nouns:

• de la patience (patience)
• du courage (courage)
• de l’énergie (energy)

These help you talk about feelings and habits in a more “French” way.

️ Another common confusion: partitive vs “a/an” (un/une)

Compare:

• Je veux du café. (some coffee, not a specific unit)
• Je veux un café. (a coffee = one cup)

Same for bread:

• Je mange du pain. (some bread)
• Je mange un pain. (a loaf of bread — not the usual daily meaning)

This difference is huge for ordering in cafés and restaurants.

Quantities change the article (beaucoup de, un peu de, trop de…)

When you add a quantity expression, French often uses de:

• Je veux beaucoup de café. (a lot of coffee)
• On a un peu de temps. (a little time)
• Il y a trop de bruit. (too much noise)
• J’ai assez de pain. (enough bread)

This is similar to the negative rule: the “some” article disappears and becomes de/d’.

️ The “de + adjective + plural noun” pattern (advanced but common)

You’ll sometimes hear:

• des amis (some friends)

But with an adjective before a plural noun, French often changes des to de:

• de bons amis (good friends)
• de grandes idées (great ideas)

This doesn’t change the meaning much; it’s a style/grammar pattern you’ll see a lot in writing and formal speech. If you’re a beginner, focus on the core partitives first—but don’t be surprised when you see de in these phrases.

Mini drills (get comfortable fast)

Fill in du / de la / de l’ / des:

1. Je prends ___ fromage.
2. Elle boit ___ eau.
3. On mange ___ frites.
4. Tu veux ___ soupe ?

Answers:

1. du (masc)
2. de l’ (vowel)
3. des (plural)
4. de la (fem)

Now make them negative (switch to de/d’):

1. Je ne prends pas ___ fromage. → de
2. Elle ne boit pas ___ eau. → d’
3. On ne mange pas ___ frites. → de
4. Tu ne veux pas ___ soupe. → de

Summary (the one‑minute version)

• du (masc), de la (fem), de l’ (vowel), des (plural) = “some”
• In negatives: switch to de/d’
• un/une = one unit (one coffee), partitive = some “stuff”

Once you master partitives, French sentences start sounding instantly more natural.

Quick FAQ

Is du/de la/des always “some”?

It often corresponds to “some/any,” but English frequently drops it. French still uses the partitive to show “an unspecified amount.”

What’s the difference between Je veux du café and Je veux un café?

• du café = some coffee (the substance)
• un café = one coffee (one cup / an order)

In questions, do I keep the partitive?

Usually, yes:

• Tu veux du café ?

In negatives, you typically switch to de/d’:

• Je ne veux pas de café.