This deep dive covers Les articles indéfinis — Indefinite articles (a / an / some) within Gender and articles: le, la, un, une, du for GCSE French. Revise Gender and articles: le, la, un, une, du in Core Grammar Toolkit for GCSE French with 15 exam-style questions and 15 flashcards. This topic shows up very often in GCSE exams, so students should be able to explain it clearly, not just recognise the term. It is section 3 of 6 in this topic. Use this deep dive to connect the idea to the wider topic before moving on to questions and flashcards.
📋 Les articles indéfinis — Indefinite articles (a / an / some)
Use indefinite articles when introducing something for the first time or talking about one unspecified example of something.
| Gender / Number | Article | Example | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| Masculine singular | un | un stylo | a pen |
| Feminine singular | une | une règle | a ruler |
| Plural (m or f) | des | des livres | some books |
⭐ After negatives — all indefinite articles become de / d'
After ne…pas (and most other negatives), un / une / des all collapse to de (or d' before a vowel). This applies to indefinite articles only — definite articles do not change.
J'ai un chien. → Je n'ai pas de chien.
I have a dog. → I don't have a dog.
- un becomes de after the negative — this is one of the most frequently tested points in AQA writing tasks.
Practice questions for Gender and articles: le, la, un, une, du
Which definite article do you use with a masculine singular noun in French?
Which form of the definite article is used before a noun beginning with a vowel, such as 'école'?