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- > Du, de la, de l', des - 'some' and 'any'
This Revision Bite will give you practice in using du, de la, de l', des, the equivalent to the English for 'some' and 'any'.
Masculine or feminine?
du, de la, de l', des - gender and plurals
| English | Masculine | Feminine | Before a vowel or silent -h | Plural |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Some, any | du | de la | de l' | des |
To say 'some' or 'any' in French, use:
- du before a masculine word, eg Je mange du pain le matin (I have [some] bread for breakfast)
- de la before a feminine word, eg Vous avez de la salade? (Do you have any lettuce?)
- de l' before a singular word beginning with a vowel or silent h, eg Tu bois de l'eau? (Are you drinking [some] water?); Ma mère a acheté de l'huile (My mother bought some oil)
- des before a word in the plural form, eg Nous mangeons des légumes (We eat [some] vegetables)
In English we wouldn't always say 'some' - like '[some] water' - but in French the word would always be used.
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