Log inSign up

Il ne veut pas un verre à vin vide, mais un verre de vin.

Il ne veut pas un verre à vin vide, mais un verre de vin.
He does not want an empty wine glass, but a glass of wine.
From Lesson 379:Purpose vs. contents prepositions (à vs. de)·French

Questions & Answers about Il ne veut pas un verre à vin vide, mais un verre de vin.

Why do we use à in verre à vin but de in verre de vin?
This is the core difference between purpose and contents! Un verre à vin uses à to show what the object is designed for (a wine glass). Un verre de vin uses de to show what the object actually contains (a glass of wine).
Usually, the article un changes to de after a negative. Why doesn't it here?
Great catch! While un usually becomes de in a negative sentence (il ne veut pas de verre means he wants no glass at all), the rule changes when expressing a contrast. Because the sentence uses mais (but) to directly contrast two specific items, the article un is kept.
Why does the adjective vide come after vin instead of right after verre?
In French, a noun and its purpose linked by à act together like a single compound noun. The descriptive adjective vide (empty) modifies the whole concept of the wine glass, so it must follow the entire phrase verre à vin.
Why is there no article before vin in either phrase (for example, why not au vin or du vin)?
When describing the purpose or contents of a container, the noun following à or de acts as an adjective describing the material or category. Because it is used in this general sense, rather than referring to a specific or measurable amount of wine, it drops the article entirely.

Learn Il ne veut pas un verre à vin vide, mais un verre de vin and more in French

All course content and exercises are completely free — no paywalls, no trial periods, no signup needed.

  • ✓ Practice with interactive exercises
  • ✓ Track your progress with spaced repetition
  • ✓Learn at your own pace — completely free
Start learning French →