des

Everyday

1. (French) «Des» means «some» before a plural noun: «des pommes» is «some apples». tree →
2. (French) «Des» also means «of the» or «from the» for plural things: «la maison des enfants» is «the children's house». tree →
3. (a name) Des is a short form of the man's name Desmond. tree →
4. To an English ear French «des» sounds like «day». tree →
5. In old Southern speech, des means just or simply. tree →

In the lessons

In French lessons «des» is learnt with «du» and «de la» (some): «je voudrais des frites» (I would like some chips). It appears in French place names and phrases English borrows: «Champs-Élysées», «Jardin des Plantes». In Ireland and the UK «Des» is a familiar nickname. Also «des res» (UK, informal, jokey) means a «desirable residence», a nice house.

Examples

• In French, «j'ai des bonbons» means «I have some sweets». tree →
• «Le jardin des plantes» means «the garden of the plants». tree →
• «Des» sounds like «day» in French. tree →
• My uncle Des runs the corner shop. tree →
• In French, «un chat» is «a cat», and «des chats» is «some cats». tree →
• Mum joked that the new house was a real «des res». tree →
• Hit's des like I tell you. tree →

Note

As a word, French, not English; the «s» is silent unless the next word starts with a vowel («des amis» sounds like «day-zah-mee»). In English «des-» at the start of a word is a prefix, as in «describe». As a name it takes a capital: «Des».

In Jewish tradition

In French lessons «des» is learnt with «du» and «de la» (some): «je voudrais des frites» (I would like some chips). It appears in French place names and phrases English borrows: «Champs-Élysées», «Jardin des Plantes». In Ireland and the UK «Des» is a familiar nickname. Also «des res» (UK, informal, jokey) means a «desirable residence», a nice house.

Examples

• Author of the "Guide for Rational Inquiries into the Biblical Scriptures," "Toms des Morgenlandes," Translator of "Nathan the Wise" from the German, etc., etc., etc. (Sefer Yetzirah, Kalisch 1877) tree →
• Dr. Steinshneider (see Magazin fuer Literatur des Auslandes, 1845) and Dr. Cassel (in his commentary to the book entitled Kusari,) maintain that the ancient Jewish (Sefer Yetzirah, Kalisch 1877) tree →

Note

As a word, French, not English; the «s» is silent unless the next word starts with a vowel («des amis» sounds like «day-zah-mee»). In English «des-» at the start of a word is a prefix, as in «describe». As a name it takes a capital: «Des».