More about saying 'the'

• The word 'the' is known as the definite article. In French it changes depending on the word it goes with - for masculine words it's le, and for feminine words it's la.

 

• If a word starts with a vowel or with the letter -h, le and la both shorten to l', whether it's masculine or feminine.


L'Arc (m) de Triomphe
L'Hôtel (m) de Nice
L'aéroport (m) de Roissy
L'homme (m)


• If a word is plural, le, la and l' all become les. An -s is added to the end of plural words, though usually it's only pronounced when it comes before a vowel:



le taxi		les taxis
la rue		les rues
l'arc		les arcs



• Unlike in English, you also use the definite articles when talking about things or people in general:



Les Françaises J'aime le café Les taxis sont chers

French women I like coffee Taxis are expensive



• Generally, articles are more frequently used in French than in English - you'll rarely hear a noun without one of them.