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    As in english, an article is characterized as either definite ('the') or indefinite ('a', 'an') articles are also masculine or feminine, singular or plural, according to the gender and number of the noun they determine. Elision and liaison occur with most words starting with h: l'homme, les hommes, l'hiver, les hivers.

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    As in english, an article is characterized as either definite ('the') or indefinite ('a', 'an') articles are also masculine or feminine, singular or plural, according to the gender and number of the noun they determine. Elision and liaison occur with most words starting with h: l'homme, les hommes, l'hiver, les hivers.

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    As in english, an article is characterized as either definite ('the') or indefinite ('a', 'an') articles are also masculine or feminine, singular or plural, according to the gender and number of the noun they determine. Elision and liaison occur with most words starting with h: l'homme, les hommes, l'hiver, les hivers.

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    40 views4 pages

    Det 2

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    silverpen
    As in english, an article is characterized as either definite ('the') or indefinite ('a', 'an') articles are also masculine or feminine, singular or plural, according to the gender and number of the noun they determine. Elision and liaison occur with most words starting with h: l'homme, les hommes, l'hiver, les hivers.

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    page: det2

    1. forms
    2. élision and liaison
    3. to identify a specific noun
    4. to express general truth or concepts
    5. to express likes and dislikes
    6. to indicate habitual recurrence
    7. in a series
    8. no article

    forms
    In French, few nouns can stand alone. Most need to be introduced or 'determined' by an article. As in English, an article
    is characterized as either definite ('the') or indefinite ('a', 'an'). In addition, French articles are also masculine or
    feminine, singular or plural , according to the gender and number of the noun they determine. Here are the definite
    articles in French:

    Masculine singular: le (l') Tex le tatou Tex the armadillo


    Joe-Bob l'écureuil Joe-Bob the squirrel

    Feminine singular: la (l') Bette la chatte Bette the cat (female)


    l'Université du Texas The University of Texas

    Masculine and feminine plural: les les tatous the armadillos


    les écureuils the squirrels
    les chats the cats
    les universités the universities

    élision and liaison


    In the examples above, note that le and la both become l' when they precede a noun beginning with a vowel or a silent
    h: l'escargot, l'université. This is called elision.

    Unlike le and la, les does not have a contracted, reduced form. When les is followed by a word starting with a vowel,
    the normally silent final s of les is pronounced, making a /z/ sound. This additional sound linking two words is called
    liaison. Listen to the following examples:

    Compulsory liaison with a vowel or No liaison with a consonant


    silent h

    les insectes les tatous


    les animaux les fourmis
    les hommes

    Note that elision and liaison occur with most words starting with h: l'homme,
    les hommes, l'hiver, les hivers. Exceptions to this rule are words beginning with
    an aspirate 'h'.

    to identify a specific noun


    The definite article is used to identify a specific noun or to refer to a noun that
    has already been specified.

    Corey: Tu connais la tour de l'Université du Corey: Do you know the UT Tower?


    Texas?
    Tex: Bien sûr, c'est le symbole de Tex: Of course, it is the symbol of the
    l'Université! University!

    Corey: Et la Sixième rue? Corey: What about Sixth street?

    Tex: Eh bien, c'est les Champs-Elysées Tex: Well, it's the Champs-Elysees of
    d'Austin! Austin.

    to express general truths or concepts


    French uses the definite article to express general truths or concepts. English, in contrast, uses no article at all. Compare
    the following sentences:

    Tex: L'argent ne rend pas l'homme Tex: Money does not make man happy!
    heureux!

    Tammy: Tu as raison. L'amour et la santé Tammy: You are right. Love and health are
    sont plus importants! more important!

    Tex: Bien sûr, pour les insectes et les Tex: Of course, for insects and animals,
    animaux, l'argent n'existe pas! Mais money does not exist! But love is as
    l'amour est aussi important pour nous que important for us as it is for humans. Ah,
    pour les humains. Ah oui ... l'amour yes, love, love, love, always love!
    l'amour, toujours l'amour!

    to express likes and dislikes


    The French also use the definite article with verbs of preference, such as aimer, préférer, détester. Once again, English
    omits the article in such general statements. For example:

    Tex adore les croissants. Tex loves croissants.

    Joe-Bob préfère les doughnuts. Joe-Bob prefers doughnuts.

    Tammy n'aime pas le café. Tammy does not like coffee.

    Edouard apprécie la bonne cuisine Edouard appreciates good French cuisine.


    française.

    to indicate habitual recurrence


    The definite article is used in French with moments of the day, days of the week, and seasons to indicate habitual
    recurrence. For example:

    Le matin, Tammy va en cours. Every morning, Tammy goes to class.

    L'après-midi, elle va à la bibliothèque. Every afternoon, she goes to the library.

    Le lundi, Tex fait son jogging. On Mondays, Tex goes for a jog.

    L'été, il se baigne avec Tammy à Barton Every summer, he bathes with Tammy at
    Springs. L'hiver, il skie à Purgatory. Barton Springs. Every winter, he skis in
    Purgatory.

    in a series
    The article is usually repeated in a series, in contrast to English. For example:

    Tammy: Tex, aide-moi à mettre la table! Tex, help me set the table! Bring the
    Apporte les assiettes, les couteaux, les plates, knives, glasses, napkins, and wine.
    verres, les serviettes et le vin.

    no article
    Cities usually do not require an article in French. For example:

    Tex habite à Austin. Tex lives in Austin,

    mais il préfère Paris. but he prefers Paris.

    Continents, countries, states, regions, and oceans usually require an article (l'Afrique, la France, le Texas, la Bourgogne,
    l'Atlantique etc.), but there are a few exceptions, usually islands: Haïti, Israël, Madagascar. See prepositions with place
    names for more information.

    Months never require an article: janvier, février, mars, etc.

    Cependant Tex adore mars à Austin. Nevertheless Tex adores March in Austin.

    Days of the week do not require an article in instances where they do not indicate habitual recurrence. For example:

    Lundi, il a rendez-vous avec Tammy. Monday he has a date with Tammy.

    Listen to the dialogue:

    Tammy: J'aime beaucoup le français. C'est Tammy: I like French a lot. It is the
    la langue de Molière et de Hugo, et surtout language of Molière and of Hugo, and
    c'est la langue maternelle de Tex! above all it is the mother tongue of Tex!

    Bette: Alors comme ça Tammy, tu aimes Bette: So Tammy, you really like French
    bien les Français? men?

    Tammy: Oh oui! Surtout les Français qui Tammy: I sure do! Especially French men
    portent le béret! who wear a beret!

    fill in the blanks


    Fill in the blank with the correct definite article : le, la, l', or les.

    1. Tex : J'adore ______ chattes!

    2. Corey : J'adore _______ odeur des pesticides!

    3. Tammy : ________ femmes sont sensibles.

    4. Corey : Je déteste _____ professeur de maths.


    5. Tammy : _______ salle de classe est romantique!

    6. Tammy : ______ affiche de Paris est super!

    7. Corey ______ télévision.

    8. Tex déteste _______ Texas.

    9. Tammy : _______ tatous sont intelligents!

    10. Tex : ____ dictionnaire est intéressant!

    11. Tammy est _____ amie de Tex.

    12. Tex est prof à _______ université.

    © 2004 • department of french & italian • liberal arts ITS • university of texas at austin updated: 27 May 04

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