In this grammar lesson you will learn how to say some in French.
In this lesson you will learn about:
- the 2 types of nouns: countable and uncountable
- how to say some in French with countable nouns
- how to say some in French with uncountable nouns
- how some is used in sentences
- how you can quiz yourself on how to say some in French
- how to practice with flashcards on how to say some in 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 say some in French!
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The 2 Types of Nouns: Countable and Uncountable
In French there are 2 types of nouns: countable and uncountable.
This distinction matters greatly if you want to know how to say some in French.
But what are countable and uncountable nouns?
- Countable nouns are – as the name suggests – nouns that you can count (e.g. bicycles, watches, pineapples).
If you CAN answer the question “How many do you have?”, then you are dealing with a countable noun.
Let’s take the 3 aforementioned nouns as an example.
In all of these examples we can answer the question “How many bicycles/watches/pineapples do you have?”
For example: I have 3 bicycles/watches/pineapples.
As we can answer the “How many do you have?” question, we can conclude that they are countable nouns.
- Uncountable nouns are – as the name suggest – nouns that you cannot count (e.g. milk and jam).
Can you answer the question “How many milk/jam do you have?”
You cannot do this.
It is wrong to say “I have 3 milk/jam.”.
If you CAN’T answer the question “How many do you have?”, then you are dealing with an uncountable noun.
How to Say Some in French with Countable Nouns
If you want to say “some” with countable nouns, then you have to change the article (le, la, l’) to des.
le vélo
J’ai des vélos.
I have some bicycles.
la montre
J’ai des montres.
I have some watches.
l’ananas
J’ai des ananas.
I have some pineapples.
So, saying some with countable nouns is very easy. All you do is change the article (le, la, l’) to des.
How to Say Some in French with Uncountable Nouns
If you want to say “some” with uncountable nouns, then you have to use partitive articles (du, de la, de l’, and des)
Here’s an overview of all the partitive articles in French.
| masculine | feminine | |
| singular | du, de l’ | de la, de l’ |
| plural | des | des |
- Masculine Singular Partitive Articles
When refering to uncountable nouns that are masculine and singular you will use du, and de l’. Please note that de l’ is used for nouns starting with a vowel or mute h.
le papier
Je veux du papier.
I want some paper.
le pain
Je veux du pain.
I want some bread.
le lait
Je veux du lait.
I want some milk.
l’argent
Il veut de l’argent.
He wants some money.
- Feminine Singular Partitive Articles
When refering to uncountable nouns that are feminine and singular you will use de la and de l’. Please note that de l’ is used for nouns starting with a vowel or mute h.
la confiture
Elle mange de la confiture.
She is eating some jam.
l’eau
Je voudrais de l’eau.
I would like some water.
- Masculine and Feminine Plural Partitive Articles
If a noun is plural and uncountable then you will use des for some. This is similar to countable nouns, and applies to both masculine and feminine nouns.
les pâtes
Je vais acheter des pâtes.
I am going to buy some pasta.
les épinards
Je veux des épinards.
I want some spinach.
Example Sentences on How to Say Some in French
The final section of this lesson on how to say some in French, is about seeing sentences with the word some.
This is valuable because you can improve your understanding on how to say some in French through examples.
This section contains all of the previous sentences, neatly organised in one place.
le vélo
J’ai des vélos.
I have some bicycles.
la montre
J’ai des montres.
I have some watches.
l’ananas
J’ai des ananas.
I have some pineapples.
le papier
Je veux du papier.
I want some paper.
le pain
Je veux du pain.
I want some bread.
le lait
Je veux du lait.
I want some milk.
l’argent
Il veut de l’argent.
He wants some money.
la confiture
Elle mange de la confiture.
She is eating some jam.
l’eau
Je voudrais de l’eau.
I would like some water.
les pâtes
Je vais acheter des pâtes.
I am going to buy some pasta.
les épinards
Je veux des épinards.
I want some spinach.
Quiz Yourself on How to Say Some in French
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.
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