that French partitive!

AdrienneC1Kwiziq community member

that French partitive!

Just when I think I might have that French partitive sorted out, I fear not!  

" un petit pot adorable de la confiture à la framboise."  My thinking was that the container was named, "un petit pot" so why not "de confiture..." ?!

Asked 1 year ago
TomC1 Kwiziq Q&A super contributor Correct answer

The English is 'an adorable little jar of the raspberry jam that her grandmother sent her' - so it's a specific jam: 'un petit pot adorable de la confiture à la framboise que sa grand-mère lui avait envoyé'. If it were just 'an adorable little jar of raspberry jam' then think it would just be 'un petit pot adorable de confiture à la framboise'.

JimC1 Kwiziq Q&A super contributor

Hi Adrienne,

The pot contains "some" raspberry jam. So the article needs to express "some" of the jam.

Confiture is a grammatically feminine noun so we have "some" of this noun, therefore, de la confiture ..... where "de la" is the partitive article.

Bonne Journée

Jim

JimC1 Kwiziq Q&A super contributor

Tom is quite right, I failed to read the text completely. La (definite article) confiture with the preposition de (of) to express of the (de la) where the noun confiture is specific.

Jim

ChrisC1 Kwiziq Q&A super contributor

un pot de confiture -- a jar of (some) jam. This is a general reference to jam.
un pot de la confiture (que sa grand-mère lui avait envoyé) -- a jar of the jam (that her grandma had sent her).

AdrienneC1Kwiziq community member

Thanks Jim, Chris and Tom.  On my second try, I recognized it as Tom explained.  It's funny how our brains work!

that French partitive!

Just when I think I might have that French partitive sorted out, I fear not!  

" un petit pot adorable de la confiture à la framboise."  My thinking was that the container was named, "un petit pot" so why not "de confiture..." ?!

Sign in to submit your answer

Don't have an account yet? Join today

Ask a question

Find your French level for FREE

Test your French to the CEFR standard

Find your French level
Clever stuff happening!