Definite and Indefinite Articles in Spanish

This section explains the definite and indefinite articles in Spanish. In Spanish, articles are words that are used before nouns to indicate the gender and number of the noun. There are two types of articles in Spanish: definite articles and indefinite articles.

Definite Articles

The definite article in Spanish is used to refer to specific or known nouns (e.g. "the book," "the house"). It is equivalent to "the" in English.

Singular Definite Articles (Artículos definidos singulares):

• Masculine singular: el
  • Example:el libro (the book), el perro (the dog)
• Feminine singular: la
  • Example:la casa (the house), la mesa (the table)

Plural Definite Articles (Artículos definidos plurales):

• Masculine plural: los
  • Example:los libros (the books), los perros (the dogs)
• Feminine plural: las
  • Example:las casas (the houses), las mesas (the tables)

Indefinite Articles

The indefinite article in Spanish is used to refer to unspecific or unknown nouns (e.g. "a book," "some dogs"). It is equivalent to "a," "an," or "some" in English.

Singular Indefinite Articles (Artículos indefinidos singulares):

• Masculine singular: un
  • Example:un libro (a book), un perro (a dog)
• Feminine singular: una
  • Example:una casa (a house), una mesa (a table)

Plural Indefinite Articles (Artículos indefinidos plurales):

• Masculine plural: unos
  • Example:unos libros (some books), unos perros (some dogs)
• Feminine plural: unas
  • Example:unas casas (some houses), unas mesas (some tables)

Using Definite Articles

The definite article is used when talking about something specific or known, like when referring to something previously mentioned, or when it is clear what you are talking about.

Examples:

• ¿Dónde está el libro? (Where is the book?) – You are referring to a specific book.
• La casa es grande. (The house is big.) – Referring to a specific house.
• El perro que tengo es muy viejo. (The dog I have is very old.) – You are talking about a specific dog.

Using Indefinite Articles

The indefinite article is used when talking about something unspecific or unknown, like when referring to any item, not a specific one, or when mentioning something for the first time.

Examples:

• Tengo un libro. (I have a book.) – You are referring to any book, not a specific one.
• Necesito una mesa. (I need a table.) – Any table, not a particular one.
• Vi unos perros en el parque. (I saw some dogs in the park.) – You are referring to some dogs, but not a specific set of dogs.

Special Cases with Articles

There are certain instances where the article changes or is omitted based on specific rules.

With Days of the Week (Con los días de la semana):

In Spanish, the definite article is used when talking about days of the week, especially when referring to habitual actions.

• Voy al cine el sábado. (I go to the cinema on Saturday.)
• El lunes tengo clase. (On Monday I have class.)

With Languages (Con los idiomas):

The definite article is used when talking about languages in general, but it is omitted after the verb "hablar" (to speak).

• El español es un idioma bonito. (Spanish is a beautiful language.)
• Habla inglés. (He/she speaks English.) – No article before "inglés."

With Professions and Nationalities (Con profesiones y nacionalidades):

When describing someone’s profession or nationality, the article is generally not used unless there is a descriptive adjective.

• Es médico. (He/she is a doctor.) – No article used.
• Es un médico excelente. (He/she is an excellent doctor.) – Article used when an adjective is added.

Contracted Articles

In Spanish, the definite articles el, la, los, and las can contract with the prepositions a (to) and de (of) to form new words.

With "a" (to):

• a + el = al
  • Example:Voy al cine. (I am going to the cinema.)
• a + la = a la
  • Example:Voy a la tienda. (I am going to the shop.)
• a + los = a los
  • Example:Voy a los parques. (I am going to the parks.)
• a + las = a las
  • Example:Voy a las casas. (I am going to the houses.)

With "de" (of):

• de + el = del
  • Example:La casa del profesor. (The teacher’s house.)
• de + la = de la
  • Example:La puerta de la casa. (The door of the house.)
• de + los = de los
  • Example:Los libros de los niños. (The books of the children.)
• de + las = de las
  • Example:Las ideas de las mujeres. (The ideas of the women.)

Summary

• Definite articles (el, la, los, las) are used when referring to specific or known things (equivalent to "the" in English).
• Indefinite articles (un, una, unos, unas) are used when referring to unspecific things or when mentioning something for the first time (equivalent to "a," "an," or "some" in English).
• Articles must agree in gender (masculine or feminine) and number (singular or plural) with the noun they modify.
• The definite article is used with days of the week, languages, and professions when appropriate.
• Articles can contract with prepositions such as a and de.

Examples (Foundation Level):

• el perro (the dog)
• la casa (the house)
• un libro (a book)
• unas mesas (some tables)

Examples (Higher Tier):

• El coche rojo (the red car)
• La chica inteligente (the intelligent girl)
• Unos amigos divertidos (some fun friends)
• Las ideas creativas (the creative ideas)

By practising using the right articles in your sentences, you’ll be able to improve both your writing and speaking in Spanish.