The Definite Article in Spanish
et’s define what an article is in linguistics. Articles, which exist in many languages, are words that accompany a noun (person, thing, or place) to indicate, among other things, whether we are talking about something unknown or known. In Spanish, they also indicate number and grammatical gender. Definite articles, in particular, are used, at least in Spanish and the other languages I speak, when we refer to something that is already known to both the speaker and the listener or has been mentioned previously, among other functions.
So, what is a definite article?
A definite article is a word used to indicate a specific noun, meaning one that the speaker already knows, not just any noun. In Spanish, the definite articles are: el, la, los, and las. These articles agree in grammatical gender (masculine or feminine) and number (singular or plural) with the noun they accompany. In this post, we’ll look at the grammar and use of definite articles in Spanish, example phrases using definite articles, and, at the end, I’ll provide links to exercises so that, if you like, you can practice your knowledge on this topic. The equivalent in English is “the,” although there are cases where one language uses the definite article while the other does not.
The Definite Articles in Spanish.
El: used with singular, masculine nouns. El niño (the boy), el hombre (the man).
La: used with singular, feminine nouns. La niña (the girl), la mujer (the woman).
Los(*): used with plural, masculine nouns, or with groups of nouns composed of members of both grammatical genders. Los niños (the boys), los hombres (the men).
Las: used with plural, feminine nouns. Las niñas (the girls), las mujeres (the women).
(*) Like in other languages, there is a discussion in Spanish regarding the inclusivity of idiomatic expressions in terms of grammatical gender and other aspects, which goes beyond the scope of this post. In this article, we are following the current grammar of the RAE (Royal Spanish Academy). According to this, the masculine grammatical gender is considered the unmarked gender in the Spanish language. For this reason, groups of nouns that contain members of both grammatical genders are accompanied by the definite article “los.” Thus, los niños can refer to a group of boys or a group of boys and girls, while las niñas refers to a group made up exclusively of girls. From this, it follows that in Spanish, there is no way to specify, through the use of articles, that a group of individuals is composed exclusively of members of the masculine grammatical gender.
Al y del.
The preposition “a” is used before the definite article in cases like the ones we will see below. When it is used before the singular masculine definite article “el”, it merges with it to form the word “al”.
Indication of destination: Voy a la playa (I’m going to the beach). Voy (a + el) al parque (I’m going to the park).
Personal direct object: when the direct object is a person or a close animal. Veo a la maestra (I see the teacher). Veo (a + el) al perro (I see the dog).
Time: to indicate a specific moment. Nos vemos a la noche (We’ll see each other at night). Nos vemos (a + el) al mediodía (We’ll see each other at noon).
The preposition “de”, for its part, also merges with “el” to form the word “del”. It is used in cases like the following.
Possession or ownership: El libro es de la maestra (The book belongs to the teacher). El libro es del profesor (The book belongs to the professor).
Origin or source: Vengo de la selva (I come from the jungle). Vengo del bosque (I come from the forest).
¿El agua o la agua?
In the case of feminine grammatical gender words that begin with “a” or “ha” and have the tonic syllable in the first position, “el” is used instead of “la.” El agua (the water), el águila (the eagle), el hacha (the axe). If the tonic syllable is not the first one, “la” is used. La aguja (the needle), la almohada (the pillow).
Uses of the Definite Article.
- To talk about a unique thing or person:
Llamé al padre de Luis. I called Luis’s father. (Luis has only one father.)
La capital de Uruguay es Montevideo. The capital of Uruguay is Montevideo. (Uruguay has only one capital.)
La esposa de mi amigo es muy simpática. My friend’s wife is very nice. (My friend has only one wife).
- To talk about something specific that our listener already knows:
¿Cortarías el pan, por favor? Would you cut the bread, please? (The bread we already have).
Estoy en el baño. I’m in the bathroom. (The bathroom of the house we’re in).
Apaga el televisor, por favor. Turn off the television, please. (The one that is on).
- To talk about something in a general sense:
El fútbol es un deporte muy popular. Soccer is a very popular sport.
Los idiomas son interesantes. Languages are interesting.
Las verduras son buenas para la salud. Vegetables are good for health.
- With days of the week, time, and dates:
On Monday, I have a meeting.
¿Nos vemos a las cinco? Shall we meet at five?
Mi cumpleaños es el 11 de Octubre. My birthday is on October 11th.
Attention! Do not use with proper names.
Juan y María son mis amigos. Juan and María are my friends. We don’t say el Juan and la María. This is also the case when we have to use “a” or “de” before a name: El libro es de Juan (The book is Juan’s), Ayer vi a María (Yesterday I saw María).
Although this topic is not fully covered in this brief article and there is much more to explore, I believe this provides a good introduction to the subject. Thank you for reading!
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