In this French grammar lesson you will learn when to use les and des.
In this lesson you will learn about:
- what the definite and indefinite articles are in French
- when to use les
- when to use des
- how les and des are used in sentences
- how you can quiz yourself on when to use les and des
- how to practice with flashcards for when to use les and des
- 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 when to use les and des in French!
Table of Contents
Overview of Definite and Indefinite Articles
| Singular | Plural | |
| Definite Articles | le, la, l’ | les |
| Indefinite Articles | un, une | des |
When to use Les
If you want to use the plural form of le, la or l’ then you will use les.
This is because – as you can see in the table – the plural form of le, la, and l’ is les.
Let’s take a look at how they are used in French.
Le vélo rouge est derrière les vélos bleus.
The red bicycle is behind the blue bicycles.
La petite montre est dans la boîte avec les vieilles montres.
The small watch is in the box with the old watches.
De toutes les universités, je préfère la première université.
Of all the universities, I prefer the first university.
In English, you can use “the“ for both singular and plural articles.
But, as you can see, if you want to pluralize le, la, or l’, then you will use les.
When to use Des
If you want to use the plural form of un and une then you will use des.
This is because – as you can see in the table – the plural form of un and une is des.
Let’s take a look at how they are used in French.
Il y a une voiture. – Non, il y a des voitures.
There is a car. – No there are [some] cars.
Il y a un chien. – Non, il y a des chiens.
There is a dog. – No there are [some] dogs.
Il y a un garçon. – Non, il y a des garçons.
There is a boy. – No there are [some] boys.
As you can see, if you want to pluralize un or une, then you will use des.
You may have noticed that I put “[some]” in the English translations of the sentences.
This is because in English, you don’t have to say “some“, when you refer to a small group.
When you say “I have dogs”, you are actually saying “I have some dogs”.
But, in English it is fine to omit the word “some“.
In French, you have to include the word “some“, so you get des.
Example Sentences When to Use Les and Des
The final section of this lesson on when to use les and des is about seeing them in action.
This is valuable because you can improve your understanding on when to use les and des through examples.
This section contains all of the previous sentences, neatly organised in one place.
Le vélo rouge est derrière les vélos bleus.
The red bicycle is behind the blue bicycles.
La petite montre est dans la boîte avec les vieilles montres.
The small watch is in the box with the old watches.
De toutes les universités, je préfère la première université.
Of all the universities, I prefer the first university.
Il y a une voiture. – Non, il y a des voitures.
There is a car. – No there are [some] cars.
Il y a un chien. – Non, il y a des chiens.
There is a dog. – No there are [some] dogs.
Il y a un garçon. – Non, il y a des garçons.
There is a boy. – No there are [some] boys.
Quiz Yourself on When to use Les and Des
At the end of every lesson you can do a small quiz.
You will see the sentences of the previous chapter. It is up to you to give the correct answer.
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
Have you ever wondered what the best way is to learn a new language?
I have been learning languages for over 20+ years and I was always frustrated with books, courses, and classes that I had tried.
It never really seemed to work for me.
I wanted to learn a language in the most effective and efficient way, and there was nothing out there for me.
So I thought, “why not make something myself?“.
Using my experience and by doing research I created Language Atlas, a platform where people can learn French and Spanish in the most effective and efficient way.
I created free lessons and quizzes so that there would always be a easy and accessible way for people to learn or brush up on their language skills.
However, I also created courses that are much more comprehensive and in-depth.
These courses are easy to follow, clear, and allow you to become fluent in the most effective and efficient way.
The courses of Language Atlas have:
- 800+ Lessons with audio
- 800+ Quizzes
- 10,000 Flashcards with explanations, images, and audio
- A gamified way of learning a new language
- A vibrant community (including support from me)
You can register for free and try the French A0/A1 and Spanish A0/A1 Courses for free!
This includes over 60 lessons and quizzes, 500 flashcards that adapt to how you learn, and access to the community (including support from me).
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