Essential French Grammar (2012)

The Partitive Construction

Comparison between French and English

In English we frequently say: “Do you want coffee?” or “We have bananas and apples.” The words “some” or “any” are understood in these sentences (i.e. “Do you want some coffee?”, “We have some bananas,” etc.). French requires the partitive construction, which means that the words “some” or “any” must be expressed.

How to Use the Partitive Construction

“Some” or “any” are represented in French by the preposition de plus the form of the definite article which agrees in gender and number with the noun which follows. Therefore, before a masculine singular noun the proper expression would be du; before a feminine singular noun, de la; before a masculine or feminine singular noun which begins with a vowel or silent h, de l’; before a masculine or feminine plural noun, des.

Voulez-vous du café?
Do you want (some, any) coffee?

Nous avons des bananes et des pommes.
We have (some) bananas and (some) apples.

There are several cases where de alone (without the article) is required. The most important of these to remember is negative sentences.