français · A2 · grammar · 4 minutes
Partitives after negation and quantity
Change du, de la, de l’, and des to de after a true negation or quantity expression.
Understand the choice
Partitives present an unspecified amount: du pain, de la soupe, de l’eau. Negation removes that amount, while quantities measure it, so both constructions commonly expose plain de.
Core rule: Indefinite and partitive articles usually become de or d’ after ne…pas and after quantity expressions; forms of être are a major exception.
Notice it in context
Je bois du café, mais je ne bois pas de thé.
I drink coffee, but I do not drink tea.
Du presents an amount of coffee; pas de removes any amount of tea.
Nous achetons beaucoup de légumes.
We buy a lot of vegetables.
Beaucoup de directly precedes the measured noun.
Ce n’est pas du sucre, c’est du sel.
It is not sugar; it is salt.
After être, the partitive is retained because the sentence identifies the substance.
What to remember
- D’ replaces de before a vowel sound: pas d’eau, un peu d’huile.
- Definite articles remain after negation when the noun is specific or generic: je n’aime pas le café.
Common trap: Do not mechanically change every article after pas. Definite le/la/les remain, and être often retains du/de la/des.