French Phrase
Je lis surtout de la non‑fiction.
Meaning
I mainly read non‑fiction. The sentence stresses that the speaker’s reading habit is focused on factual, informational books rather than novels or other fiction.
When to use
Use this phrase when you want to describe your reading preferences, especially in a conversation about books, hobbies, or what you’re currently reading.
✦Grammar Breakdown
Jelissurtoutdelanon‑fiction
Subject pronoun
"Je" is the first‑person singular subject pronoun, used for the speaker.
Present tense of lire
"lis" is the present‑tense form of the verb "lire" (to read) for "je".
Adverb surtout
"surtout" means "especially" or "mainly" and normally precedes the element it modifies.
Partitive article de la
"de la" is the partitive article used before uncountable nouns (e.g., food, abstract concepts) to indicate an indefinite amount.
Loanword non‑fiction
"non‑fiction" is an English loanword accepted in French to denote non‑fiction books; it behaves like a feminine singular noun.
🗨In Conversation
Qu'est‑ce que tu lis en ce moment ?
What are you reading right now?
Je lis surtout de la non‑fiction.
I mainly read non‑fiction.
✕Common Mistakes
Je lis surtout des non‑fiction.
"Non‑fiction" is treated as an uncountable noun, so the partitive article "de la" is required, not the plural "des".
Je lis de la non‑fiction surtout.
Placing "surtout" after the noun phrase sounds awkward; it should precede the element it modifies.
Je lis surtout le non‑fiction.
Using the definite article "le" implies a specific, known work, which changes the meaning.
↔Alternatives
Je lis surtout des livres de non‑fiction.
I mainly read non‑fiction books.
Je préfère lire de la non‑fiction.
I prefer reading non‑fiction.
Je me consacre surtout à la non‑fiction.
I devote myself mainly to non‑fiction.
Cultural Tip
In French, the partitive article "de la" is required before uncountable nouns like "non‑fiction". While "non‑fiction" is an English borrowing, it is widely used in French media and publishing. If you want to sound more formal, you can replace it with "des ouvrages de non‑fiction". Also, placing "surtout" before the noun phrase (as in the example) sounds more natural than putting it at the end of the sentence.