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"de" in French

Aerb · 2008-11-26 21:23:43

I am soooo confused with this word, and I can’t find any answers to this on the Internet, so I was hoping that there would be some French aficionados on here. If you’re saying that something is of something else, like a bottle of wine, you say “une bouteille DE vin”. But then if you want to say a youth centre, you say “un…

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26-11-2008 10:23pm

#1

Aerb

Closed Accounts Posts: 25 ✭

Join Date: August 2007

Posts: 23

I am soooo confused with this word, and I can’t find any answers to this on the Internet, so I was hoping that there would be some French aficionados on here.

If you’re saying that something is of something else, like a bottle of wine, you say “une bouteille DE vin”. But then if you want to say a youth centre, you say “un foyer DES jeunes” . If this is so, wouldn’t it be “une boutille du vin”? Because the latter means “centre of THE youth”. Why wouldn’t it be “un foyer de jeunes”? It seems irregular, because to say “few people” you say “Peu de gens” and not “Peu des gens,” according to my book.

I know it’s abject that a LC hl French student doesn’t know the workings of de, but…I need helllp.
Thanks so much : )

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#2 26-11-2008 11:45pm
KatCookie

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it has something to do with the partitive article.. i dont have my french notes with me at ATM sorry..

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#3 27-11-2008 1:32pm
Jay P

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I think it's just one of those things you just have to learn off. Try the French language forum, they should give some answers for you...

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#4 27-11-2008 7:14pm
Piste

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Des doesn't always means "of the", it can mean "of" for indefinite plurals too. You wouldn't say "une bouteille du vin" because that would mean "a bottle of the wine"

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#5 27-11-2008 9:06pm
KatCookie

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googled this for you..
http://french.about.com/library/weekly/aa112499.htm
seems correct to me!

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