What is the small word that preceds a french noun?

The small word that precedes a French noun is called an article.

There are two main types of articles:

* Definite articles: These specify a particular noun and are equivalent to "the" in English. They change based on the gender and number of the noun:

* Masculine singular: le (e.g., le livre - the book)

* Feminine singular: la (e.g., la table - the table)

* Masculine plural: les (e.g., les livres - the books)

* Feminine plural: les (e.g., les tables - the tables)

* Indefinite articles: These refer to a general noun and are equivalent to "a" or "an" in English. They also change based on gender and number:

* Masculine singular: un (e.g., un chat - a cat)

* Feminine singular: une (e.g., une chaise - a chair)

* Masculine plural: des (e.g., des chats - some cats)

* Feminine plural: des (e.g., des chaises - some chairs)

Note: There are some exceptions to these rules, and the use of articles can be quite complex in French.