Partitive articles: du, de la, de l', des

Partitive articles express an unspecified portion of something that cannot be counted as individual units. Formation: de + definite article → du (m.sg.), de la (f.sg.), de l' (before vowel/silent h), des (pl.). Key uses: food and drink consumed in unspecified amounts (Je bois du café), activities expressed with faire (faire du sport), abstract nouns (avoir du courage). Contrast with indefinite article (un/une/des): indefinite counts a whole item (Je mange une pomme = one apple); partitive takes a portion (Je mange de la pomme = some apple — unusual; normally use indefinite for countable fruits). Contrast with definite article: after verbs of general preference (aimer, adorer, détester, préférer) use definite: J'aime le café (I like coffee in general) vs Je bois du café (I am drinking some coffee right now).