1.18 Les articles définis : le, la, l’, les

1. What they mean

Definite articles correspond to:

the

2. Basic usage

Masculine

• le livre → the book
• le professeur → the teacher

Feminine

• la table → the table
• la chaise → the chair

Before vowel (l’)

Use l’ when the next word starts with a vowel or silent h:

• l’étudiant → the student
• l’ordinateur → the computer
• l’hôtel → the hotel

💡 Applies to both masculine and feminine

Plural (les)

• les livres → the books
• les tables → the tables
• les étudiants → the students

3. Summary table

4. In sentences

• Le livre est sur la table. → The book is on the table
• L’étudiant est en classe. → The student is in class
• Les étudiants sont en classe. → The students are in class

5. Key idea

Use definite articles when talking about:

• something specific
• something already known
• something general (in a broad sense)

Example:

• J’aime le café. → I like coffee (in general)

6. Quick practice

Choose the correct article:

1. ___ livre
2. ___ table
3. ___ étudiant
4. ___ livres

Answers:

1. le
2. la
3. l’
4. les

7. Mini takeaway

• le → masculine
• la → feminine
• l’ → before vowel
• les → plural