Les articles définis et indéfinis
How to choose between le/la/les and un/une/des based on a noun's gender and number.
The rule
French nouns are always either masculine or feminine, and the article you use must agree with that gender — this is one of the first things learners need to master.
Definite articles ("the") are le (masculine), la (feminine), l' (before a vowel sound), and les (plural). Indefinite articles ("a/an/some") are un (masculine), une (feminine), and des (plural).
Use definite articles for specific or previously mentioned things, and general truths (J'aime le café). Use indefinite articles for non-specific things (J'ai un chat).
Examples
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Le chat dort.The cat is sleeping.
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La maison est grande.The house is big.
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L'ami de Paul arrive.Paul's friend is arriving.
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Les enfants jouent.The children are playing.
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J'ai un chien.I have a dog.
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Elle porte une robe rouge.She's wearing a red dress.
Common mistakes
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Le filleLa fille
Fille (girl) is feminine, so it takes "la", not "le" — gender must be memorized with each noun.
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Je veux un pomme.Je veux une pomme.
Pomme (apple) is feminine — "une", not "un".
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J'aime pain et fromage.J'aime le pain et le fromage.
Unlike English, French almost always requires an article before a noun, even when talking generally.
