une

Une is the feminine singular indefinite article in French, used before feminine singular nouns to mean "a" or "an." It accompanies feminine nouns, and its masculine counterpart is un. In pronunciation, une is typically realized as a nasalized [yn]. The form derives from Latin una meaning "one" and has been a feature of French since medieval times.

As a determiner, une introduces non-specific items: une pomme, une idée, une voiture. It is always used with feminine singular nouns. The plural indefinite article is des, as in des pommes or des voitures, used for any gender. The indefinite article does not have a separate plural form that marks gender.

Une can also function as a pronoun meaning "one" (feminine), typically in more formal or literary contexts. In that use it is often written as l'une when referring to a specific item among a known set: Parmi les propositions, l'une est acceptable. The pronoun une can also appear with en in phrases such as j'en ai une, meaning "I have one of them."

In usage, the indefinite article coexists with other determiners and adjectives: une belle histoire, une vieille maison. Cognates in other Romance languages reflect the same origin: Spanish una, Italian una, Portuguese uma. Overall, une plays a central role in signaling indefiniteness and gender in French noun phrases.