Today we are going to describe the rules of zero article in Spanish. Many students use Spanish articles in a wrong way. In any case it’s extremely important to learn the correct usage of these tiny Spanish words at the beginning of your Spanish learning because once you learn them wrong, it’s hard to change the habit. Also, be aware that the use of articles in English is quite different from the use of Spanish articles. Read on and find out more.
We use zero article after Spanish verbs ser and hacerse with names of professions, religions, nationalities or ideologies.
Es estudiante. (He’s a student.)
Carmen es española. Es médica. (Carmen is Spanish. She’s a doctor.)
Mohamed y Ali eran musulmanes. (Mohamed and Ali were Muslims.)
Miguel se ha hecho torero. (Miguel has become a bullfighter.)
Note that we use indefinite articles un, una, unos, unas when the name is used with a qualifier.
Es una cantante muy famosa. (She’s a very famous singer.)
Es un abogado extraordinario. (He’s an extraordinary lawyer.)
We also use indefinite articles when we want to identify someone by his or her profession.
¿Quién es Estopa? Es un grupo español. (Who is Estopa? It’s a Spanish band.)
Compare the following sentences:
James Cameron es director de cine. …but: ¿Quién es James Cameron? Es un director de cine.
We use no article before a direct object when we refer to something in general, not a concrete thing.
Están buscando casa. (They are looking for a house.)
Ernesto no come brócoli. (Ernesto doesn’t eat broccoli.)
No tengo bici. (I don’t have a bike.)
El marido de Lola es escritor, escribe cuentos. (Lola’s husband is a writer, he writes short stories.)
Javi colecciona postales. (Javi collects postcards.)
However, we use indefinite article when we talk about quantity.
El marido de Lola ha escrito un cuento. (Lola’s husband has written one short story.)
He comprado unos postales. (I’ve bought some postcards.)
We also use an article when we put an adjective after the noun.
Tengo unos postales muy raros. (I have some very rare postcards.)
Hoy lleva un traje muy elegante. (He’s wearing very elegant suit today.)
Compare the following sentences:
Pilar vende vestidos….but: Hoy ha vendido un vestido.
Necesito café….but: Necesito un café fuerte.
Read more about the usage of definite and indefinite articles in our previous Spanish lesson.
Remember that you can learn this and much more in our Spanish school in Valencia. Sign up here for Spanish courses and start increasing your Spanish level today!
