Contracted articles in French: Rules & Examples

by

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

Related posts:

  1. Subject pronouns in french
  2. French stressed pronouns: Moi, toi, lui, eux… (Short lesson with examples)
  3. Should I write Quoique or Quoi que in French?
  4. How to conjugate a verb in French?

2 thoughts on “Contracted articles in French: Rules & Examples”

  1. But what about “tu”? I had always heard it was never contracted, but I saw this sentence: “T’habites où?”

    Thank you.

    Reply

    • In French, “tu” (you, singular informal) is typically not contracted as frequently as some other pronouns. However, there are certain colloquial and informal contexts where you might see contractions with “tu”. One common instance is the contraction of “tu” with verbs that begin with a vowel or a mute ‘h’. This makes the language flow more smoothly in conversation. The example you provided, “T’habites où?” is a perfect illustration of this.

      Here, “tu” contracts with the verb “habiter” (to live), which begins with a silent ‘h’ and a vowel, forming “t’habites” instead of “tu habites”. This contraction is not officially standard in written French, but it reflects the way people often speak in everyday conversation. The omission of the vowel sound in “tu” before another vowel or a silent ‘h’ helps maintain the natural rhythm and flow of the sentence.

      Examples of Common Contractions with “Tu”
      T’habites où? (Where do you live?) – instead of “Tu habites où?”
      T’arrives à quelle heure? (What time do you arrive?) – instead of “Tu arrives à quelle heure?”
      T’es content? (Are you happy?) – instead of “Tu es content?”

      Reply

Leave a Comment