The Partitive

Oooh là là! As you walk down the streets of Paris and pass the beautiful boulangerie, or the luscious pâtisserie, take a deep breath. Smell the fresh baguettes and the fresh tartes aux pommes. Do you want an entire baguette, or do you want just a few pieces? Do want an entire pie to take home and share with your family, or do you want just one slice? This topic will teach you how to ask for a piece of something, and also how to ask for the whole item. To do this, you will learn to use the partitive articles un, une, du, de la, de l’, and des. These partitive articles mean a, an, or some.

Essential Questions

• How do you ask for some or all of an item?