Contracted articles in French: Rules & Examples

In French, articles and prepositions can be contracted, meaning that they are joined together to form a single word.

Contracted articles are very common in French, and they are used to simplify the language and make it sound more natural.

Here are the rules for using contracted articles in French:

1. The preposition “de” contracts with the definite article “le” to form “du”. (e.g. “de + le” = “du”)
2. The preposition “de” contracts with the definite article “les” to form “des”. (e.g. “de + les” = “des”)
3. The preposition “à” contracts with the definite article “le” to form “au”. (e.g. “à + le” = “au”)
4. The preposition “à” contracts with the definite article “les” to form “aux”. (e.g. “à + les” = “aux”)

Examples:

1. Je vais au cinéma. (I’m going to the cinema.)
2. Nous avons des livres. (We have books.)
3. Je prends du thé. (I’m having some tea.)
4. Elle a aux pommes. (She has apples.)
5. J’aime les films au cinéma. (I love movies at the cinema.)
6. Tu as des amis intéressants. (You have interesting friends.)
7. Je vais à la plage avec du sable. (I’m going to the beach with sand.)
8. Ils ont les meilleurs restaurants aux alentours. (They have the best restaurants around.)

It’s important to remember that contractions are used in informal language and are not usually used in formal writing.

I hope this helps with your French lesson on contracted articles.

If you have any other questions or need more clarification, feel free to ask!

©Frenchlanguagebasics.com