How French works
We’ve learned that you can recognize nouns in English because they often have the word a or the in front of them. These words are called articles.
The word a is called the indefinite article because it refers to any of a given item, such as any book in a library rather than a specific book that you’re reading.
In French the word for a in front of masculine nouns is un:
Tu as un stylo?
Do you have a pen?
The word for a in front of feminine nouns is une:
Elle a une soeur
She has a sister
In English the plural form of a or an is some or any (or it is left out altogether). In French the plural of un or une is des:
Il mange des frites
He’s eating (some) chips
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