French Grammar in Context

3 THE PARTITIVE ARTICLE

a The partitive article (and the plural indefinite article des) are always omitted after the

preposition de, e.g. j’ai du café, but j’ai besoin de café; j’ai des amis, but j’ai besoin d’amis.

b In careful written French, des becomes de when the adjective precedes its noun, e.g. de grandes

découvertes. However, this rule does not apply to fixed groups like des jeunes hommes; des petits

pois.

c It is not always the case that de is substituted for the indefinite or partitive article after a negative

(see 3cabove). For example, you may find the emphatic Il n’y a pas un seul arbre instead of the

more usual Il n’y a pas d’arbre. There are also cases where the negation applies not to the verb

but to the direct object, e.g. Je n’habite pas une maison, mais un appartement. This is notably the

case after the verb être, e.g. Ce ne sont pas des étudiants. It should also be noted that after ne ...

que, which is not negative in sense, the rule does not apply either, e.g. Il n’y a que des jeunes filles.

4 ABSENCE OF ARTICLE

As a general rule, French nouns must usually be preceded by an article or other determiner, e.g. a

possessive or demonstrative adjective, a numeral, etc. However, the following exceptions should

be noted.

• With expressions of quantity, e.g. beaucoup de, the partitive articles and plural indefinite
  article (des) are not used, e.g. beaucoup de thé (a lot of tea). However, the definite article is
  used where appropriate, e.g. beaucoup du thé qu’on a acheté (a lot of the tea which we bought).


• Normally, nouns denoting professions and nationalities used with être (also devenir, rester,
  etc.) behave rather like adjectives so that there is no indefinite article with them, e.g. il est
  professeur; elle va devenir infirmière. However, where these nouns are qualified by an adjective,
  they do require an article, e.g. C’est un excellent professeur.


• Where a noun occurs in a descriptive phrase, as a so-called ‘noun in apposition’, explaining or
  qualifying a preceding noun or clause, French does not use an article, e.g. M. Chirac, Président
  de la République; Madame Dupont, proviseur du lycée Balzac.


• In written French, articles may be omitted from lists (normally three or more words), e.g.
  Hommes, femmes, enfants, tous criaient. Also after ne... ni... ni (see Chapter 8), e.g. il n’avait
  ni papiers ni argent.

5 QUANTIFIERS

The quantifier bien is followed by des + plural noun, e.g. j’ai bien des ennuis.

See for further information: Coffman Crocker, pp. 1–13

Ferrar, pp. 123–37, 241, 245, 247–8

Hawkins and Towell, pp. 26–42, 154–7

Judge and Healey, pp. 23–36, 41–5

84 French Grammar in Context