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.
| English | Masculine | Feminine | Plural |
| a, an | un | une | des |
| English | a, an |
|---|---|
| Masculine | un |
| Feminine | une |
| Plural | des |
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:
| Singular masculine | Singular feminine |
| un vélo - a bike | une voiture - a car |
| Singular masculine | un vélo - a bike |
|---|---|
| Singular feminine | une voiture - a car |
For plurals use des for all words and remember to make your noun plural too.
| Plural masculine | Plural feminine |
| des vélos - (some) bikes | des voitures - (some) cars |
| Plural masculine | des vélos - (some) bikes |
|---|---|
| Plural feminine | des voitures - (some) cars |
- 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
