The Definite and Indefinite Article in Spanish
The definite article in Spanish
In English is very easy, there is only one definite article "the" but in Spanish is a bit more complex, there are 4:
| Article | Role | Example | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| el | masculine singular | el niño | the boy |
| la | feminine singular | la niña | the girl |
| los | masculine plural | los niño | the boys |
| las | feminine plural | las niñas | the girls |
El perro es marrón
The dog is brown
La mesa tiene 4 patas
The table has 4 legs
Los libros estan ordenados
The books are sorted
Contractions of the definite article
The preposition "a" and the article "el" are replaced with the form "al".
a + el = al
Example:
Vamos al cine
We go to the cinema
The preposition "de" and the article "el" are contracted in the form "del".
de + el = del
Example:
Venimos del cine (correct)
We come from the cinema
Exceptions
When the article is part of name (i.e businesses, places, or brand names), it can’t be combined with a preposition before it.
Example:
Venimos de "El Retiro"
We come of "El Retiro"
"El Retiro" is a park in Madrid (Spain). We can't say only "Retiro", because the full name is "El Retiro".
The indefinite article in Spanish
In Spanish as in English, the indefinite article is used in front of a non-specific item.
The indefinite articles are:
| Article | Role | Example | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| un | masculine singular | un niño | a boy |
| una | feminine singular | una niña | a girl |
| unos | masculine plural | unos niños | some boys |
| unas | feminine plural | unas niñas | some girls |
Example:
El mango es una fruta
Mango is a fruit
Él tiene unos pantalones grises
He has some gray trousers
NOTE: Some nouns use singular and plural forms, for singular form. For example, we can say "un pantalón" or "unos pantalones", and in both examples, we are referring to only one item. To indicate the plural we use "varios pantalones" or "algunos pantalones".
Omission of article in Spanish
In certain instances, the definite and indefinite article are omitted.
Omission of the definite article
The definite article is not used if it is referring to a single island. But it is used to refer to a group of islands.
Example:
Me gusta mucho Ibiza
I love Ibiza
Quiero ir a las (Islas) Canarias
I want to go to the Canary Islands
The definite article is not used, when speaking directly with someone and using the following:
Buenos días Óscar
Good morning Óscar
Don José, tiene usted hoy una reunión
Mr. José, you have a meeting today
Doctor Hernández, un paciente le esta esperando
Dr. Hernández, a patient is waiting for you
However the definite article is used when speaking with someone about another person if there is a honorific (title prefixing a person's name) like:
| Honorific | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Señor | Sir |
| Don | Mister |
| Doctor | Doctor |
Example:
El Señor Rodriguez viene a comer hoy
Mr. Rodriguez comes to eat today
El presidente del Real Madrid está de vacaciones
The president of the Real Madrid is on holidays
El Doctor Hernández trabaja en este hospital
Dr. Hernández works in this hospital
Omission of the indefinite article
We don't use the indefinite article after the verbs "ser" or "hacerse" when the noun is any of the following:
- a profession
- a religion
- a nationality
- a political ideology
Example:
Soy profesora
I am a teacher
Él es estudiante
He is a student
However we use the indefinite article when the noun is a pofession or when the noun is preceded by a qualifying adjective.
Example:
Soy una profesora muy divertida
I am a very fun teacher
Él es un buen estudiante
He is a good student
Penélope Cruz es actriz
Penélope Cruz is an actress
¿Quién es Penélope Cruz? Es una actriz
Who is Penélope Cruz? She is an actress