Partitive articles "du", "de la" and their negative form "pas de" are used when a definite quantity cannot be specified. "du", "de la" therefore precede things that cannot be counted : de la musique (music), de la pluie (rain).
1. "C'est" + du/de la
The expression "C'est" is used to identify or define something or someone.
- C'est du gâteau au chocolat. ↔ Ce n'est pas du gâteau au chocolat. (It's chocolate cake. ↔ It's not chocolate cake.)
- C'est de la bonne musique. ↔ Ce n'est pas de la bonne musique. (It's good music. ↔ It's not good music.)
- C'est de la neige. ↔ Ce n'est pas de la neige. (It's snow. ↔ It's not snow.)
2. "Il y a" + du/de la ↔️ pas de
"Il y a" is used to indicate the presence or the existence of something or someone. "pas de" means a null quantity.
- Il y a du bruit dans la rue. ↔ Il n'y a pas de bruit dans la rue. (There is noise in the street. ↔ There is no noise in the street.)
- Il y a de la neige sur les toits. ↔ Il n'y a pas de neige sur les toits. (There is snow on the roofs. ↔ There is no snow on the roofs.)
- Il y a du monde au cinéma. ↔ Il n'y a pas de monde au cinéma. (There are people in the cinema. ↔ There are no people in the cinema.)
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