Indefinite articles – un/une/des

How to say ‘a’ or some using un, une or des

The correct word for a in French depends upon the noun it follows. All nouns in French are either masculine, feminine or plural.

The articles un, une and des mean a or some and they have to agree with the gender of the noun.

These are called indefinite articles because you are talking about an unspecific thing or things. For example:

• un magazine - a magazine
• une cheminée - a fireplace
• des chaussures - some shoes
• je voudrais lire un magazine sur le sport - I’d like to read a magazine about sport
• dans le salon, il y avait une grande cheminée - in the lounge there was a big fireplace
• il porte des chaussures blanches – he’s wearing some white shoes

Un/une or des – more examples

In the singular form (referring to one thing or person), use the articles:

For plurals use des for all words and remember to make your noun plural too.

• il veut un vélo bleu - he wants a blue bike
• ils ont une belle voiture - they have a lovely car
• elle travaille dans un hospital - she works in a hospital
• il y a des chips dans la cuisine - there are some crisps in the kitchen

Indefinite articles with jobs and professions

When talking about jobs or professions in French, you don't need to use un/une before the job:

• elle est vendeuse - she’s a sales assistant
• il est ingénieur - he’s an engineer