How to say 'some'

• If you want to talk about an unspecified quantity, i.e. 'some' you use the words du, de la, de l' or des.

du fromage de la salade de l'eau des légumes

some cheese some salad some water some vegetables



• The words du and des are used when de, meaning 'of' or 'from', is combined with le or les, the words for 'the'.

de + le chocolat de + le café de + les amandes

du chocolat du café des amandes

some chocolate some coffee some almonds



• When de is followed by la or l', you don't form a new word.

de + la crème de + l'eau

de la crème de l'eau



• You always need the word for 'some' in French, even if you would leave it out in English:

C'est du fromage avec des légumes

It's cheese with vegetables



• As an alternative to 'some', you can use quelques, 'a few':


Voulez-vous quelques olives ?
Would you like a few olives?

See also le, la