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.)