A/An (Un, Une, Des)
Use indefinite articles: un (masc.), une (fem.), des (plural). Understand how negation changes articles (un → de/d').
A lesson of French A1 — Beginner, in Gender & Articles, about 10 minutes.
By the end of this lesson, you will use the indefinite articles un, une, and des, and understand how negation changes them.
The Three Indefinite Articles
| Article | Used with | English equivalent | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| un | masculine singular | a / an | un livre (a book) |
| une | feminine singular | a / an | une table (a table) |
| des | plural (any gender) | some / (often omitted in English) | des livres (some books / books) |
Using Un and Une
Use the indefinite article to introduce a noun for the first time or when it refers to one unspecified item:
J'ai un chien. — I have a dog. Elle lit une lettre. — She's reading a letter. C'est un étudiant. — He's a student.
After c'est (it is), always use un/une, even for professions: C'est un médecin. — He's a doctor. / It's a doctor.
But after être directly (without c'est), profession has no article: Il est médecin. — He is a doctor.
Des — The Plural Indefinite
Des corresponds to English "some" or is simply untranslated in English:
J'ai des amis. — I have friends / some friends. Il y a des pommes sur la table. — There are apples on the table. Elle achète des légumes. — She buys vegetables.
Literary French vs. Spoken French
In formal or literary French, des sometimes becomes de before an adjective placed before the noun: de bons amis (some good friends) — formal des bons amis — informal spoken French
For A1, stick with des.
Negation Changes the Article
This is critical: in a negative sentence, un, une, des all become de (or d' before a vowel):
| Positive | Negative |
|---|---|
| J'ai un chien. (I have a dog) | Je n'ai pas de chien. (I don't have a dog) |
| Elle a une voiture. |