# FR: aimer les/des X - article défini / indéfini



## solarwind2424

can someone help distinguish between "les" and "des". For example would you say:

"les choses"
--or--
"des choses"

and how would one know the difference and when to use "les" and when to use "des"

j'aime "les/des" choses bleues?

or... je voudrais travailler sur "les/des" choses...

--All help is much appreciated, Thank you

*Moderator note: *Multiple threads merged to create this one. This thread is about the article type choice after _aimer_ (definite or indefinite). If you have a question about the choice between the singular and plural, please post it in FR: aimer + le/la / les X - singulier / pluriel.


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## la rose rouge

[…]

Personally, I would say: "j'aime les choses bleues" et "je voudrais travailler sur des choses"

I would say "les" in the first instance because I assume you are referring to things in general, in which case "les" would be used.  In the second I used "des" because I interepreted what you were saying as "to work on _some_ things."  Honestly, it's just something that you pick up with practice and I don't even know which to use sometimes.


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## Caronium

Here's my try:

You need to use "les" when you use "the" in English.
You need to use "des" when you don't use "the".
I don't think it works everytime though.

For example:

_I like the forums._ = _J'aime *les* forums._
_I like forums._ = _J'aime *des* forums._

In other words, "les" for defined things, "des" for undefined things.
Of course, context always helps!


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## charlie2

Here is yet another French student, c'est moi.  
J'aime le bleu. J'aime le chocolat. Ça prends toujours l'article défini. It does not mean that you like this chocolate (but not that chocolate) or you like this blue (but not that blue).
The same goes with détester, préférer and adorer.
A textbook example :
Les chiens sont fidèles. = Dogs are faithful. It is not just these dogs in front of you.


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## Benjy

the clue is in the name of the articles: the most important lesson you can learn is when the french language considers the noun(s) that you are talking about as a defined set or an undefined set.

[…]

i like dogs: j'aime les chiens

because you are implying that when you say "i like dogs" that you like all dogs in general.

[…]

ben


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## Jean-Michel Carrère

*Emploi de LE, LA, LES en français*

comparer : j'aime le lait : I like milk (en général) but : où as-tu mis le lait ? Where did you put the milk ?
comparer : les pins et les sapins ( en général ) sont des arbres à feuilles persistantes :
pine trees and fir trees are evergreens
mais : les pins et les sapins de la forêt avaient beaucoup souffert :
the pine trees and the fir trees had suffered a great deal

 L'article défini s'emploie en français lorsqu'on parle de quelque chose en général, devant les notions abstraites ( qualités / défauts ) / les sciences / les activités humaines / les matières / les couleurs / les substances …

[…]


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## fetchezlavache

[…]

here is another link with explanations in english.. French Articles Can Be Confusing — Here's How to Make Sense of Them


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## msmp7

when am I suppose to use les and des for article of clothing,
ie: J’aime _des _or _les _t-shirts
 J’aime _les _rayures
Je porte _les_ jupes


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## TA4U

Both are good... depends on the context...

J'aime des rayures dans un tissu: ok
J'aime les rayures de ce tissu: ok


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## Nicomon

Welcome to the forum msmp 

Just a few other examples...

J'aime *l*es T-shirts à rayures
J'aime porter *d*es T-shirts à rayures

J'aime *l*es rayures bleu/blanc/rouge 

Je porte *d*es jupes courtes, longues, à carreaux etc.
Je porte *l*es jupes de ma grande soeur


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## jann

to help you understand why we use "les" or "des" in the examples people have given you, you might want to read up on the definite article (le/la/les), the indefinite article (un/une/des), and the partitive (du/de la)...  here are a couple of quick and easy sources.  I think the second article gives a good concise overview:
first article
second article


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## yvonnetni

Hello there,

I am playing with the duolingo language game, and here's what I ran into - Translate: "I like parties/holidays." The correct answer duolingo shows is: J'aime *les* fêtes.

I am confused. When to use 'les', and when to use 'des'? 

Thanks in advance.
Cheers,
Yvonne


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## Kelly B

Des would be close to the English _I like *some *__parties, _with maybe an undercurrent of ...but not all of them, for example I might think begging for candy on Halloween is rude.   In this instance at least, _les_ is broader.


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## janpol

"J'aime les fêtes en général". "J'aime des fêtes" ne se dit pas. si l'on veut exprimer une restriction dans le choix de ces fêtes, il convient de dire : J'aime certaines fêtes" ou de développer un peu sa pensée : j'aime assister à des fêtes où tout le monde se connaît / où l'alcool ne coule pas à flots / où l'on chante en choeur etc... etc...


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## Ti Bateau

I always thought that the definite articles 'le la & les' referred to specific things (e.g. I like the apple (on the table) = J'aime la pomme), 
& if I want to say I like something in general, I would say: I like apples = J'aime des pommes.

However, a French friend corrected me the other day saying I should use the definite article for a generalisation:
I like fish = J'aime le poisson (versus: J'aime du poisson)

Do I therefore say: I like apples = J'aime les pommes?

I have tried to find an explanation, without success.
Merci d'avance.


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## Magonette

Ti Bateau said:


> Do I therefore say: I like apples = J'aime les pommes?


Yes.

You would say 'j'aime les pommes vertes', but you would say 'dans le panier, il y avait des pommes vertes, des pommes rouges et des pommes jaunes'

J'aime la musique douce - Il entendit une musique douce.

J'aime le vélo - Il s'est acheté un vélo

On the other hand, you would say 'J'ai vu une voiture passer devant la maison. La voiture qui est passée devant la maison était jaune';

I hope somebody will be able to give you the grammatical explanation that you are asking for.


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## Nicomon

Hello BTB,

There is more to it, but one of the reasons why your friend corrected you is this : 





> Après les verbes de sentiment (aimer, détester, adorer…), on utilise les articles définis (le, la, les, l’).


  Here you used the verb  «_ aimer _», so :  _J'aime *les* pommes / *le *poisson.
_
Had you used « _manger _»  for instance, then for a generalisation (I eat apples/fish) it would be :  _Je mange *des *pommes / je mange *du *poisson. 

_


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## Ali Smith

I know "Il aime les bons livres." means "He likes good books." (generalization)
Would "Il aime des bons livres." have meant "He likes some good books." (not a generalization)?


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## Michelvar

Ali Smith said:


> Would "Il aime des bons livres." have meant "He likes some good books." (not a generalization)?


That's correct 
But it's more elegant to use "il aime de bons livres", we tend to use "de" when "des" is followed by an adjective and a noun, or "d' " when the adjective begins by a vowel.


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