Definite Articles — Les articles définis
Definite articles in French are equivalent to 'the' in English. They are used before nouns to indicate a specific person, thing, or concept. Unlike English, French definite articles agree in gender and number with the noun they accompany.
Rules
Le — used before masculine singular nouns (le livre = the book)
La — used before feminine singular nouns (la maison = the house)
L' — used before singular nouns starting with a vowel or silent 'h' (l'école = the school)
Les — used before all plural nouns, masculine or feminine (les enfants = the children)
Examples
Le chat dort sur le canapé. — The cat sleeps on the sofa.
La fille lit un livre. — The girl reads a book.
L'homme marche dans la rue. — The man walks in the street.
Les oiseaux chantent le matin. — The birds sing in the morning.
J'aime le chocolat. — I like chocolate. (general sense)
La France est un beau pays. — France is a beautiful country.