Partitive X definite article

Question

I've been struggling to understand something that must be really easy I'm failing to get it though. What is the difference between "je veux d'argent" and "je veux de l'argent"? Moreover, I think that in the first the "d'argent" would be "du + argent = d'argent ". Thank you in advance.

score 2 · Accepted Answer · answered Mar 24 '19 at 00:45

2

"Je veux d'argent" is ungrammatical.

"De l'" is used instead of "du" in front of words that begin with a vowel ("de l'or", "de l'iridium").

The definite article form would be "Je veux l'argent" (I want the money).

answered Mar 24 '19 at 00:45

qoba

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Merci qoba. Je le comprends maintenant ! – Iron Maiden Mar 24 '19 at 00:51
De rien. Et en parlant de ça, on dit "je comprends", pas "je le comprends" :) – qoba Mar 24 '19 at 00:53

score 1 · Answer 2 · edited Jun 17 '20 at 09:38

Je veux l'argent que tu me dois.

Je veux de l'argent pour acheter une nouvelle voiture.

=

I want the money you owe me.

I want (some) money to buy a new car.

The partitive article (some) can be omitted in English. In French (du/de l'/des) is not omitted so.

Note also

Je  voudrais  du  pain->J'ai besoin de pain (avoir besoin de+du/de la=>de).

Je voudrais de l'argent->J'ai besoin d'argent (argent is a masculine word starting with a vowel).

Cf.

J'ai besoin d'argent (besoin de+de la where de preposition and de la partitive article)

with

J'ai besoin de l'argent que tu me dois.

Here (avoir besoin) de (preposition) + de la (definite article) gives de l' (du argent becomes de l'argent).

score 0 · Answer 3 · answered Mar 24 '19 at 12:32

0

'du' is 'de + le'. Thus, 'du + argent' is 'de + le + argent', which gives 'de l'argent'.

'd'argent' would come from 'de + argent' (e.g. 'jeu d'argent').

answered Mar 24 '19 at 12:32

Mathieu Bouville

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Partitive X definite article

3 Answers3