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Quantity · beaucoup de / un peu de

After a quantity expression, the article disappears: beaucoup DE pain (not 'beaucoup du pain'). Always 'de' (or d' before vowel), never du/de la.

Examples

  • Je veux un peu de café.I want a little coffee.
  • Il a beaucoup d'amis.He has many friends.

How it works

One rule covers nearly all of these: after a quantity expression the article disappears and you use plain de (or d' before a vowel) — even for a feminine noun.

beaucoup + DE + noun

(not "beaucoup du pain", not "beaucoup de la pain")

The common ones

un peu dea little
Je veux un peu DE café.
I'd like a little coffee.
beaucoup dea lot, many
Il a beaucoup D'amis.He has many friends.
Elle a beaucoup DE temps.

She has a lot of time.

trop detoo much / too many
Tu manges trop DE sucre.

You eat too much sugar.

assez deenough
J'ai assez D'eau.I have enough water.
pas assez denot enough
Pas assez DE sommeil.Not enough sleep.
combien dehow much / how many
Combien DE livres as-tu ?

How many books do you have?

un kilo de / un litre de / une tasse de
une tasse DE caféa cup of coffee
un litre D'eaua litre of water

Why de and not du/de la? The quantity word already says "some", so du/de la would be saying it twice.

Exception

quelques ("a few") goes straight in front of a plural noun, with no de:

J'ai quelques amis.I have a few friends.
(not "quelques d'amis")
J'ai quelques livres.I have a few books.

The noun after de keeps its natural number: singular for uncountables, plural for countables.

beaucoup DE tempsa lot of time
beaucoup D'amisa lot of friends

What you'll practise

  1. 1. un peu de (a little)

    Small amount. Note 'de' (not du/de la).

    • Je veux un peu de pain.I want a little bread.

  2. 2. beaucoup de (a lot / many)

    Works for both countable and uncountable. Always 'de'.

    • Il a beaucoup d'amis.He has many friends.
    • Elle a beaucoup de temps.She has a lot of time.

  3. 3. trop de / assez de (too much / enough)

    trop = too much/many. assez = enough.

    • Tu manges trop de sucre.You eat too much sugar.
    • J'ai assez d'eau.I have enough water.

  4. 4. combien de (how much / how many)

    Question form for quantity. Always 'de'.

    • Combien de livres as-tu ?How many books do you have?

  5. 5. quelques (a few)

    Goes DIRECTLY before a plural noun — no 'de'.

    • J'ai quelques amis.I have a few friends.

Practise it until it sticks

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