CONTRACTIIONS WITH THE DEFINITE ARTICLE &
POSSESSION WITH "DE"
CONTRACTIONS:
The prepositons "a" and "de" contract with "le" and "les."
a + le = au au cousin (to the cousin)
a + les = aux aux dames (to the ladies)
de + les = du du livre (of/from the book)
de + les = des des frères (of/from (some) brothers
NOTE: There are no contractions with "la" and "l'"
à la mère (to the mother)
de la maison (of/from the house)
à l'élève (to the pupil)
de l'école (of/from the school)
POSSESSION
Possession in French is expressed by the preposition "de" where English uses "'s" or "s'"
les cravates DE Jean (John's ties)
le chapeau DE la femme (the woman's hat)
le bureau DU professeur (the teacher's desk)
les livres DES garçons (the boys' books)
Mme
P.S. I love the word "l'élève" because it has all 3 French e's, each with a different sound. é = a (like first letter of English alphabet) / è = eh (as if someone poked you in the stomach) / e = uh. I hope that one is in the French audio dictionary!
Thank you for sharing the information about contractions with the definite article and possession with "de." It's great to see your enthusiasm for the word "l'élève," which indeed highlights the different sounds of the letter "e" in French.
Just to recap:
CONTRACTIONS:
In French, the prepositions "a" and "de" contract with the definite articles "le" and "les," but not with "la" and "l'."
1. Contracting "a" with "le":
- a + le = au
- Example: au cousin (to the cousin)
2. Contracting "a" with "les":
- a + les = aux
- Example: aux dames (to the ladies)
3. Contracting "de" with "les":
- de + les = du
- Example: du livre (of/from the book)
4. Contracting "de" with "les":
- de + les = des
- Example: des frères (of/from (some) brothers)
POSSESSION:
In French, possession is expressed using the preposition "de" instead of "'s" or "s'" in English.
1. Possession with "de" for singular nouns:
- Example: les cravates DE Jean (John's ties)
- Example: le chapeau DE la femme (the woman's hat)
2. Possession with "de" for singular nouns with masculine definite article:
- Example: le bureau DU professeur (the teacher's desk)
3. Possession with "de" for plural nouns:
- Example: les livres DES garçons (the boys' books)
I hope this helps clarify the use of contractions and possession in French. If you have any further questions, feel free to ask!