The In French : Le And La In French - Rocket Languages

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"The" in French: LE vs LA

How do you say "the" in French? You’ll learn the essential French articles le, la, l' and les in today’s online lesson, and I’ve included some examples with audio as well.

This is where I’ll introduce you to definite French articles

– and I don’t mean the reading kind! If you’ve never heard of definite articles in French, don’t panic!

I’ve provided step-by-step explanations so you’ll understand these basic rules of French grammar in no time.

Making things really clear with articles

Articles are the little words that make language really clear: “The,” “A,” “Some,” “Several,” “Of,” “Of the,” and “Any.”

Define it...

In English the word “the” is what we call a definite article. That is because the word “the” points to a very specific thing. For example, you may tell someone, “I want the mug” assuming that they will bring you the mug you have in mind.

Or not!

If you tell them, “I want a mug,” you will get whichever mug they choose to hand you! That is because the words “a” or “an” or “some” are indefinite articles and point to a general group of items, things, people or places.

Using "the" in French

In French, the short defining word before the noun is really part of the noun. For instance, le musicien and la musicienne for "the musician."

In French, “the” is not just one word. Rather there are a total of four versions of “the,” depending on the gender and quantity of the noun to which you are referring.

The French word for “the,”

• if followed by a masculine noun, is le
• if followed by a feminine noun, it is la and,
• when followed by any noun in the plural, it is les

For example, if there is one (male) cat, we say le chat. If there are two or more cats, we say les chats.

If there is one woman, we say la femme. If there are two or more women, we say les femmes.

Any singular noun beginning with a vowel or an “h” is always preceded by an apostrophe after the definite article: l’- for example, l’homme "the man," l’hiver "the winter," L’escalier "the staircase."

The apostrophe is inserted in between the article and the noun. This is because two vowel sounds in French cannot follow from one word to another.

In summary:

• The + masculine noun = le
• The + feminine noun = la
• The + any noun beginning with a vowel = l’
• The + any plural noun = les

Important! Perfect Your Pronunciation With Rocket Record

Our voice recognition tool, Rocket Record, is used extensively throughout Rocket French to get you speaking the right way. Listen to the tutor audio then record yourself saying the phrase. Use a headset mic in a quiet environment for best results. Problems? Click here!le garçonthe boy0%les garçonsthe boys0%la fillethe girl0%les fillesthe girls0%l'invitéthe guest0%les invitésthe guests0%l'enfantthe child0%les enfantsthe children0%le livrethe book0%les livresthe books0%la pommethe apple0%les pommesthe apples0%la librairiethe bookstore0%les librairiesthe bookstores0%le jeuthe game0%les jeuxthe games0%l'hôtelthe hotel0%les hôtelsthe hotels0%

Important! Remember What You Learn

You'll put a lot of time into learning French, so we make sure you can remember it all by including fun and engaging activities at the bottom of every lesson.

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See how Rocket French helps you learn French online, from pronunciation practice to learning on the go. Watch the official Rocket French Course Tour below!

When Indefinite and Definite Work Together in French

"Some" and "several" in French are interchangeable with "any" and "of the." We refer to words like "some" and "several" as articles. These articles help to define words and quantities, and just like everything else in French, they have to follow gender rules.

This means that almost everything new you learn in French will be subject to the following questions:

• Is it a female group of words?
• Is it a male group of words?
• Is it singular or plural?
• Does it begin with a vowel?

For more on indefinite articles see A in French

Then try some more French grammar lessons!

• French in French
• Of in French
• You in French

Á plus tard ! (See you later!)

Marie-Claire Rivière and the Rocket French Team

Make Your French Stick With The Rocket Activities

Reinforce your French learning with activities that test your recall, listening and speaking skills!ActivitiesFlashcardsReinforce your memory using Flashcards18 leftListeningListen to the phrase, then record yourself saying the phrase18 leftWritingListen to the phrase, then type what you heard18 leftSpeakingRecord yourself saying the phrase out loud18 left

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