Definite article – article défini
Let's Define It!
What's a *definite article*?
A definite article , known as un article défini in French, can have two main functions:
- As an equivalent of the in English, the definite article (le, la, les, l') is employed to refer to a specific item or items within a category. --> Il a emprunté la voiture / He borrowed the car. (Among all existing cars in the garage, in the world or in your neighborhood, he borrowed the car).
- The definite article can also serve to show that a noun is used in a universal sense to suggest the whole of a category. Note that the is rarely used in English in that case. --> J'aime le chocolat / I like chocolate.
- --> Les tigres sont plus féroces que les chiens. Tigers are more ferocious than dogs.
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Let's Pronounce It!
What does it sound like in French?
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Let's Have an Example or Two!
Can a little reinforcement do the trick?
L'hiver est froid. /Winter is cold.
J'ai pris le stylo de Ben. '/I took Ben's pen.
Les pierres sont des objets durs. / Stones are hard objects.
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