Use of the article. Part I.
Hello everybody! Today we deal with a subject that is usually a pain in the neck for all students of Spanish: the article.
In Spanish, nouns can be preceded by a definite article: “el”, “la”, “los”, las”; indefinite articles: “un”, “una”, “unos”, “unas” or stand alone, that is, without any article.
But the real question is: when is the article used? Today we will focus on the uses of the definite article.
In general, we use the definite article when we talk about something we already know and we use the indefinite article when we talk about something we do not know or has not been mentioned before. Besides, there are other uses as well.
Uses of the definite article.
1. To indicate that the noun is specific, unique or known to the speaker or has already been mentioned.
– Ayer cené con Lola, la cena fue muy bien / Yesterday I had dinner with Lola, the dinner went very well.
(We refer to a specific dinner)
– La mujer de Antón es muy simpática / Anton’s wife is very nice.
(Antón has only one wife)
– Y de repente apareció un coche. -¿Quién iba en el coche? / And suddenly a car appeared. -Who was in the car?
(We have already mentioned the car)
2. To speak of something or someone in a general term.
– El caballo es un animal muy elegante. / The horse is a very elegant animal.
– Me encanta el pescado / I love fish.
3. To talk about an uncountable noun with subject function.
– La leche es buena para los niños. / Milk is good for children.
– El dinero no da la felicidad. / Money does not bring happiness.
4. To refer to a specific part of an indeterminate person, thing or animal.
– He roto el cristal de una ventana. / I have broken a window pane.
5. To refer to a part of the body, clothing and articles of personal use.
– Se ha roto la pierna. (=su pierna) / He has broken his leg
– Raúl ha perdido la gorra. (=su gorra) / Raul has lost his cap
IMPORTANT: Possessive adjectives cannot be used together with the article.
6. Talking about colours.
The article “el” is always used to talk about colours.
– Mi color favorito es el azul. / My favourite colour is blue.
7. Tell the time, a day of the week or a specific date.
– El partido empieza a las 6. / The match starts at 6 o’clock.
– Tengo médico el martes por la tarde. / I have a doctor’s appointment Tuesday afternoon.
– El 1 de mayo es festivo. / May 1st is a public holiday
– El diecisiete de junio es la boda de mi hermana. / My sister’s wedding is on June 17th.
*But we say: Hoy es dos de abril / Today is the 2nd of April
(Because it doesn’t refer to an event)
8. To talk about habitual actions.
The article “los” is used with the days of the week, to indicate a routine.
– Los miércoles tengo clases de inglés. (=todos los miércoles) / I have English classes on Wednesdays (=every Wednesday).
9. To indicate a part of the day.
– Mañana no puedo ir porque trabajo por la mañana. / I can’t come tomorrow because I work in the morning.
*But we say: a mediodía, a medianoche, de madrugada
10. To express frequency or quantity.
– Voy de viaje dos veces al año. / I travel twice a year.
– Hay que beber dos litros de agua al día. / It is necessary to drink two litres of water a day.
– Voy a la piscina una vez a la semana. / I go to the swimming pool once a week.
11. To indicate the price per unit of measurement.
– Los tomates están a 3 euros el kilo. / Tomatoes cost 3 euros per kilo.
– Los huevos cuestan 3 euros la docena. / Eggs cost 3 euros a dozen.
12. To express partitive constructions such as “la mayoría de”, “el resto de”, “la mitad de” (the majority of, the rest of, half of…)
– La mayoría de los jóvenes usan las redes sociales. / Most young people use social networks.
– En España practica deporte la mayoría de la población. / In Spain, half of the population play sports.
13. With proper nouns of places such as seas, mountains, streets, theatres, oceans, archipelagos…
– Si visitas Madrid tienes que visitar el (museo) Reina Sofía. / If you go to Madrid you have to visit the Reina Sofía (museum).
– Las islas Canarias son uno de los lugares más turísticos durante el verano. / The Canary Islands are one of the most popular tourist destinations during the summer.
– El Nilo es el río más largo del mundo. / Nile is the longest river in the world.
14. To express forms of address and titles.
– El rey de España es Felipe. / The King of Spain is Felipe.
– El señor Pérez está en una reunión. / Mr. Pérez is in a meeting.
We hope we have solved your doubts and that this article has helped you.
In the next post on the blog of our Spanish language school, El Rincón del Tándem, we will talk about the use of the indefinite article and when we don’t need to use it. Don’t miss it!
Finally, we remind you that in our Spanish courses you learn grammar and much more: take our online level test and try a class for free!
See you soon!
