Look at these two sentences in English:
J'ai d'autres options.
I have other options.
Je me fiche des autres options.
I don't care about the other options.
When you need to express other [things] in French, you will use either d'autres or des autres.
Here's how to know when to use which !
1- When it is the plural of another [thing] :
(some) other [things] = d'autres [choses]
The indefinite adjective [un/une] autre - another + [singular noun] - becomes d'autres in the plural form.
-> Here the partitive des follows the rule of becoming de or d' in front of an adjective (See Using ''de / d' '' instead of 'des' in front of adjectives preceding nouns (partitive article)), hence d'autres [choses] and not des autres [choses].
Est-ce que vous avez d'autres livres?
Do you have any other books?
J'ai eu une autre idée, oui, j'ai d'autres idées.
I had another idea, yes, I have other ideas.
Je voudrais essayer un autre pull et d'autres pantalons.
I'd like to try another jumper and other pairs of trousers.
ATTENTION:
You will never use autres on its own:
-> J'ai autres chaussures.
You can never use des autres to express some other [things]:
-> J'ai des autres chaussures.
2- When "other [things]" is used in expressions involving de (se servir de = to use; avoir besoin de = to need; avoir envie de = to feel like, etc)
Here look at these two examples:
Il a parlé de la France et d'autres pays.
He spoke about France and about other countries.
Il a parlé de la France et des autres pays.
He spoke about France and about the other countries.
des autres is the contraction here of [de + les autres] (about/of the others), so it implies that we're talking about specific things here (the others),
whereas using d'autres here is the contraction of [de + autres] (about/of others) is less specific ([some] others).
Here are more examples:
Il a besoin des autres feuilles de papier.
He needs the other sheets of paper.
Il a besoin d'autres feuilles de papier.
He needs other sheets of paper.
Elle se sert d'autres outils: ils sont plus légers.
She uses other tools: they're lighter.
Elle se sert des autres outils: ils sont plus légers.
She uses the other tools: they're lighter.
See also L'autre, les autres = The other one(s) (indefinite pronouns)
Learn more about these related French grammar topics
Examples and resources
Il a besoin d'autres feuilles de papier.
He needs other sheets of paper.
Elle se sert d'autres outils: ils sont plus légers.
She uses other tools: they're lighter.
Il a besoin des autres feuilles de papier.
He needs the other sheets of paper.
Elle se sert des autres outils: ils sont plus légers.
She uses the other tools: they're lighter.
J'ai eu une autre idée, oui, j'ai d'autres idées.
I had another idea, yes, I have other ideas.
Il a parlé de la France et d'autres pays.
He spoke about France and about other countries.
Je voudrais essayer un autre pull et d'autres pantalons.
I'd like to try another jumper and other pairs of trousers.
J'ai d'autres options.
I have other options.
Est-ce que vous avez d'autres livres?
Do you have any other books?
Je me fiche des autres options.
I don't care about the other options.
Attention
Il a parlé de la France et des autres pays.
He spoke about France and about the other countries.
Q&A
Rob
Kwiziq community member
24 June 2018
0 replies
The standard of lessons is usually great in this program. This one however needs to be rewritten.
Ron
Kwiziq community member
8 June 2017
2 replies
Désolé mais je ne vois pas la différence exacte entre l'usage d’autres et des autres.
Pourriez-vous donner plus des précisions, s'il vous plaît?
Chris
Kwiziq community member
13/06/17
Ron
Kwiziq community member
13/06/17
Aurélie
Kwiziq language super star
17/05/16
Bonjour Almut !
That's a very interesting question, and thanks to you, we've now clarified this issue in the lesson.
In the case of d'autres, the partitive des follows the rule of becoming de or d' in front of an adjective (See https://french.kwiziq.com/revision/grammar/use-de-d-instead-of-des-in-front-of-adjectives-preceding-nouns-partitive-article), hence d'autres <choses> and not des autres <choses>.
We've now updated the lesson.
Merci beaucoup et à bientôt !
patty
Kwiziq community member
17 November 2018
1 reply
i can't see the difference!
I cannot see any difference in meaning between d'autres and des autres in the examples given! I am totalled stomped!
Steve
Kwiziq community member
18 November 2018
18/11/18
Patty these are the key sentences from the lesson:
des autres is the contraction here of [de + les autres] (about/of the others), so it implies that we're talking about specific things here (the others),
whereas using d'autres here is the contraction of [de + autres] (about/of others) is less specific ([some] others).
So putting the examples in some context:
1. You're in the pub and the old man in the corner is telling a bunch of stories about his life in the navy. He spoke of France and of other (unspecified) countries he had visited.
Il a parlé de la France et d'autres pays (de + autres).
2. "I want to explore France, Germany and Spain because my father has travelled extensitvely. He's told me many stories of (about) France and (about the) of the other (specified i.e., Germany and Spain) countries".
Il a parlé de la France et des autres pays (de + les + autres -> des autres).
Hope it helps!