French · CEFR Band 1 (A1) · Chapter 12
J'ai deux chatsI have two cats
The plural in French: you add an -s (often SILENT): chat → chats. What makes the plural audible are the articles: le/la become les, un/une become des. And liaison sounds the -s before a vowel: les_amis, des_enfants. English speakers often drop the article: "j'ai chiens" instead of "j'ai des chiens". Everyday objects: chat, chien, livre, table, chaise, verre, stylo, sac, chose, beaucoup de.
Dialogue
i
Study this section in the Bookverse app
- Spaced repetition schedules your reviews
- Practice tasks with pass tracking
- A teacher on every study screen
- Progress saved across chapters and devices — laptop and phone
- Audio playback for dialogues and words
- Speaking practice with feedback
- Search dictionaries and chat with AI, all inside the app
Sign up and start studying in the Bookverse app.
You will be asked to register first.
Chiens ou des chiens?— chiens or des chiens?
- LucasMike, tu as des animaux ?Mike, do you have pets?
- MikeOui, j'ai chiens.Yes, I have dogs. (slip: French needs the plural article "des" — say "j'ai des chiens")
- LucasOn dit « des chiens » — il faut l'article au pluriel.We say "des chiens" — you need the article in the plural.
- MikeAh, j'ai des chiens. Deux chiens et un chat.Ah, I have dogs. Two dogs and a cat.
Dialogue
i
Study this section in the Bookverse app
- Spaced repetition schedules your reviews
- Practice tasks with pass tracking
- A teacher on every study screen
- Progress saved across chapters and devices — laptop and phone
- Audio playback for dialogues and words
- Speaking practice with feedback
- Search dictionaries and chat with AI, all inside the app
Sign up and start studying in the Bookverse app.
You will be asked to register first.
Des choses sur la table— Things on the Table
- CamilleLucas, qu'est-ce que tu as dans ton sac ?Lucas, what do you have in your bag?
- LucasJ'ai trois livres et deux stylos.I have three books and two pens.
- CamilleEt beaucoup de choses sur la table : des verres, des chaises…And many things on the table: glasses, chairs…
- LucasOui, nous avons beaucoup de choses.Yes, we have many things.
Vocabulary
i
Study this section in the Bookverse app
- Spaced repetition schedules your reviews
- Practice tasks with pass tracking
- A teacher on every study screen
- Progress saved across chapters and devices — laptop and phone
- Audio playback for dialogues and words
- Speaking practice with feedback
- Search dictionaries and chat with AI, all inside the app
Sign up and start studying in the Bookverse app.
You will be asked to register first.
- chat
n.m.cat (m)
- chien
n.m.dog (m)
- livre
n.m.book (m)
- table
n.f.table (f)
- chaise
n.f.chair (f)
- verre
n.m.glass (m)
- stylo
n.m.pen (m)
- sac
n.m.bag (m)
- chose
n.f.thing (f)
- beaucoup de
phr.many, a lot of
Grammar
i
Study this section in the Bookverse app
- Spaced repetition schedules your reviews
- Practice tasks with pass tracking
- A teacher on every study screen
- Progress saved across chapters and devices — laptop and phone
- Audio playback for dialogues and words
- Speaking practice with feedback
- Search dictionaries and chat with AI, all inside the app
Sign up and start studying in the Bookverse app.
You will be asked to register first.
The plural: les, des, -s
Explanation
The plural adds an -s in writing (often SILENT when spoken): chat → chats, table → tables. But it's mainly the ARTICLES that mark the plural: le/la → les, un/une → des. J'ai un chat → J'ai des chats. Le chien → Les chiens. Liaison makes the -s audible before a vowel: les_amis ("lay-z-ami"), des_enfants. The classic English mistake is to drop the article: you don't say "j'ai chiens" but "j'ai des chiens". To count: deux chats, trois tables, beaucoup de livres ("beaucoup de" + noun, no article).
Examples
- J'ai deux chats et un chien.I have two cats and a dog.
- Les tables sont grandes.The tables are big.
- J'ai beaucoup de livres.I have many books.
- Des chaises et deux verres.Some chairs and two glasses.
Want to actually learn this — with audio, spaced repetition and progress tracking?
Study in the app →