Look at these examples:
La science est...
Science is...
Le français est..
French is...
Note that unlike English, definite articles (le,la,l',les) are used with titles, languages & academic subjects.
BUT
Only in the phrase "to speak + language" can you use both forms, with or without le.
Il parle portugais. / Il parle le portugais.
He speaks Portuguese.
Learn more about these related French grammar topics
Examples and resources

Q&A

Ron
Kwiziq community member
3/09/17
After reading your question, I reread the lesson but I am unable to find the plural of il or elle that you are referencing. Please consider resubmitting your question with the example.
Bonne chance

Ron
Kwiziq community member
12/06/17
Je suis d'accord avec vous. C'est très difficile de savoir soit "l'histoire" = story or the stories" soit "l'histoire = history or the history". Et bien sûr que les maths est une phrase maladroite. In English we would say «the math» as in the math problem or the mathematics; however, en français c'est tel «(US) (= mathematics) maths fpl» This comes from the Collins-Robert French dictionary.
Bonne chance,
Daniel
Kwiziq community member
12/06/17

Ron
Kwiziq community member
12/06/17

Aurélie
Kwiziq language super star
2/11/16
THE famous question :)
Unfortunately, I cannot give you an infallible rule for that, as there is none.
You just have to learn the words with their gender.
The "good" thing is that words have a fixed gender, so once you know it, you can't get it wrong ;)
À bientôt !

Aurélie
Kwiziq language super star
14/09/16
Bonjour Susan !
That's a very good question indeed!
Here is the answer, concerning président :
- When you're not addressing them personally, there won't be a capital letter:
Le président Hollande visite l'Angleterre.
- When you're addressing them personally, you will use what we call the "majuscule de courtoisie" (politeness capital letter).
Monsieur le Président, je vous écris...
I hope that's helpful!
À bientôt !
Susan
Kwiziq community member
14/09/16

Aurélie
Kwiziq language super star
8/09/16
The reason "français" doesn't agree in gender with "elle" here is that with the structure "parler + language", it is always the masculine form that is employed.
Indeed here what you're actually saying is "I speak [the language] French", i.e. "Je parle français" OR "Je parle le [langage] français". Languages are always masculine in French, no matter who speaks them ;)
I hope that's helpful!
À bientôt !
Catherine
Kwiziq community member
9/09/16

Aurélie
Kwiziq language super star
25/07/16
I don't think that's the reason, as in both cases, you use the non-capitalised adjective form of the language:
"Je parle français."
"Je parle le français."
I would say that the original way would be "Je parle le (langage) français", which would respect French structures, and then usage would have made "Je parle français" acceptable as well. But that's my humble theory, as it's one of those "that's just the way it is" rules!
À bientôt !
Jocelyn
Kwiziq community member
23 February 2018
4 replies
Why is there no « de » after pas in this exam with languages?
Is there not a rule « ne pas de »? How comes you don’t use « de » in this example: Ils ne parlent pas espagnol/ l’espagnol. ?
Chris
Kwiziq community member
23 February 2018
23/02/18
Hi Jocelyn,
the "de" after "pas" is used when you are expressing, e.g., that you don't have something of something. For example:
Il n'y a plus de sucre. -- There is no more (of) sugar.
Elle ne boit pas d'alcool. -- She drinks not of the alcohol. (literally)
But in the example you quote, "Ils ne parlent pas l'espagnol." There is no larger thing of which the language Spanish would be part of. It is an indivisible entity. Hence no "de".
-- Chris (not a native speaker).
Aurélie
Kwiziq language super star
23 February 2018
23/02/18
Bonjour Jocelyn !
To complete Chris's answer, only partitive articles (du, de la, de l', des) and indefinite articles (un, une, des) become de or d' in a negative sentence.
It doesn't apply to definite articles (le, la, l', les) or zero articles, hence:
Have a look at our related lessons:
https://progress.lawlessfrench.com/revision/grammar/the-partitive-article-in-negative-sentences
https://progress.lawlessfrench.com/revision/grammar/un-and-une-become-de-or-d-in-negative-sentences-indefinite-article
Bonne journée !
Jocelyn
Kwiziq community member
13 March 2018
13/03/18
Jocelyn
Kwiziq community member
13 March 2018
13/03/18