Determiners (Déterminants)


Determiners are words (as an article, possessive, demonstrative, or quantifier) that makes specific the denotation of a noun phrase. In French they agree in gender and number with the noun.
 

Articles (Articles)
 
 
Indefinite Article
Definite Article
Partitive
Article
Basic Forms
Contracted Forms
a
de
en
Sg.
m
un
le (l')
au
du
--
du
f
une
la (l')
à la
de la
--
de la
Pl.
m
des
les
aux
des
ès
des
f

The form l' of the definite article is used in front of a vowel, cf.:

Note: the form ès is rarely used in expressions like docteur ès mathématiques doctor of mathematics...

See Usage of the articles.
 

Possessive Adjectives (Adjectifs Possessifs)
 
Person One owner Many owners
singular
plural
singular
plural
1st
m
mon
mes
notre
nos
f
ma (mon)
2nd
m
ton
tes
votre
vos
f
ta (ton)
3rd
m
son
ses
leur
leurs
f
sa (son)

Examples:
 
mon ami my friend
notre ami our friend
ma maison my house
notre maison our house
mes amis my friends
nos amis our friends
mes maisons my houses
nos maisons our houses

The forms mon, ton, son for feminine are used in front of vowels, cf.:

On the usage see Possessive Adjectives and Pronouns.
 

Demonstrative Adjectives (Adjectifs Démonstratifs)
 
 
Singular
Plural
Masculine
Feminine
Masculine
Feminine
   Simple
ce (cet) this
cette
ces
Compound
Near objects
ce (cet) [noun]-ci this
cette [noun]-ci
ces [noun]-ci
Remote objects
ce (cet) [noun]-là that
cette [noun]-là
ces [noun]-là

Examples:
 
  • ce livre this book 

  • ces livres these books
    cette femme this woman
    ces femmes these women
  • ce livre-ci this book here 

  • ces livres-ci these books here
    ce livre-là that book there
    ces livres-là those books there

The form cet is used in front of a vowel, cf.:

On the usage see Demonstrative Adjectives and Pronouns.
 

Interrogative Adjectives (Adjectifs Interrogatifs)
 
Singular
Plural
Masculine
Feminine
Masculine
Feminine
quel? what kind of?
quelle?
quels?
quelles?

Indefinite Adjectives (Adjectifs Indéfinis)
 
Singular
Plural
Masculine
Feminine
Masculine
Feminine
aucun any, some
aucune
aucuns
aucunes
autre other
autres
certain certain
certaine
certains
certaines
même same
mêmes
nul none
nulle
nuls
nulles
   
plusieurs many
quelque whatever
quelques
tel such
telle
tels
telles
tout all, every, whatever
toute
tous
touttes


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