In this French grammar lesson, you will learn how to negate indefinite articles.
In this lesson you will learn about:
- how to negate indefinite articles in French
- exceptions to the rule
- how negations of indefinite articles are used sentences
- how you can quiz yourself on how to negate indefinite articles
- how to practice with flashcards on how to negate indefinite articles
- how and why you should use the courses of Language Atlas to learn French
Please refer to the French A1 Curriculum to get a better overview of French grammar, if you are curious about this fits in French A1.
By the end of the lesson, you will know all about how to negate indefinite articles!
Table of Contents
How to Negate Indefinite Articles
In this section I am going to explain how to negate indefinite articles (un and une) in French.
- In a negation, indefinite articles (un and une) become de or d’ (in front of a vowel or mute h)
J’ai un vélo, mais je n’ai pas de voiture.
I have a bicycle, but I don’t have a car.
Il a un bureau, mais il n’a pas de chaise.
He has a desk, but he doesn’t have a chair.
Nous avons un bateau, mais ils n’ont pas de bateau.
We have a boat, but they don’t have a boat.
Vous avez un chat ? Je n’ai pas de chat.
Do you have a cat? I don’t have a cat.
Vous n’avez pas de guitare ?
You don’t have a guitar?
Please note that in French, the number 1 (un/une) is the same as a/an (un/une).
- So, if you use the number 1 in a negation, then you don’t have to change un/une into de/d’
Je n’ai pas un frère, mais deux.
I don’t have one brother, but two.
Je n’ai pas une montre, mais deux.
I don’t have one watch, but two.
Exceptions to the Rule
There are only two expections to this rule.
- You don’t change du/de la/de l’/des to de or d’ in negations with the following verbs
- avoir l’air
- devenir
- demeurer
- être
- paraître
- rester
- sembler
These are called verbs of state.
There’s no need to memorise them all.
The most important ones are être (to be) and devenir (to become), as they are the verbs most often used in French.
être
Il n’est pas patient.
He is not patient.
être
Ils ne sont pas gentils.
They are not kind.
devenir
Elle ne va pas devenir amie avec vous.
She’s not going to become friends with you.
- Definite articles (le, la, l’, and les) do not change in negations.
J’ai les billets. Je n’ai pas les billets.
I have the tickets. I don’t have the tickets.
Definite articles are not partitive articles, but I wanted to have this in here to make sure you don’t make any mistakes with them.
Examples Sentences on How to Negate Indefinite Articles
The final section of this lesson on how to negate indefinite articles is about seeing the negations in action.
This is valuable because you can improve your understanding on how to negate indefinite articles through examples.
J’ai un vélo, mais je n’ai pas de voiture.
I have a bicycle, but I don’t have a car.
Je n’ai pas un frère, mais deux.
I don’t have one brother, but two.
Je n’ai pas une montre, mais deux.
I don’t have one watch, but two.
Tu n’as pas de manteau.
You don’t have a coat.
Il a un bureau, mais il n’a pas de chaise.
He has a desk, but he doesn’t have a chair.
être
Il n’est pas patient.
He is not patient.
devenir
Elle ne va pas devenir amie avec vous.
She’s not going to become friends with you.
Nous avons un bateau, mais ils n’ont pas de bateau.
We have a boat, but they don’t have a boat.
Vous avez un chat ? Je n’ai pas de chat.
Do you have a cat? I don’t have a cat.
Vous n’avez pas de guitare ?
You don’t have a guitar?
être
Ils ne sont pas gentils.
They are not kind.
Quiz Yourself on How to Negate Indefinite Articles
At the end of every lesson you can do a small quiz.
You will see the sentences of the previous chapter.
You will either need to fill in the blanks, choose the correct multiple choice option, or both.
Once you are done the correct answer will be shown.
You can redo the quiz as many times as you want.
How to Practice With Flashcards for This Lesson
Using flashcards is an absolute necessity when it comes to learning a language!
It is the best way to memorize what you learn, you can personalize your progression because it adapts to your actions, and all flashcards have audio to improve your hearing and pronunciation.
Please read our article on how to learn a new language for more information on flashcards and the best way to learn a new language.
There are two ways to practice with Flashcards for this lesson.
- Anki
- The Flashcards in our Courses
Anki is a free software with which you can create and practice flashcards.
After you have downloaded Anki for free, you can get our French A1 Anki Deck.
This Anki Deck contains 3,764 flashcards with which you can practice absolutely everything for French A1.
All the flashcards have text, images, explanations, and audio.
You can also use our courses that have flashcards integrated alongside lessons with audio, quizzes and much more!
However, I am sure you are wondering, what are your courses, and why should I take them?
The Courses of Language Atlas
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