Singular definite articles (le, la, l')

Saying "The" (le and la)

Just like with "a" and "an", the French word for "the" changes based on the noun's gender:

• Use le for masculine nouns.
• Use la for feminine nouns.

To help describe where things are, the examples below also use a few helpful words for location: ici (here), là (there), and sur (on).

Nouns Starting with a Vowel (l')

French pronunciation prefers a smooth flow of sound and avoids placing two vowels right next to each other.

When a singular noun starts with a vowel, you cannot use le or la. Instead, drop the "e" or "a" and replace it with an apostrophe to combine the article directly with the noun.

This makes the article become l' for both masculine and feminine nouns!

Summary of Singular Definite Articles