12.1.1
Definite Articles
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Nouns
A noun is a person, place, thing or idea. In Spanish, nouns can be masculine or feminine and singular or plural:
Masculine singular
- 'El' comes before nouns that are singular and masculine.
- Most masculine singular nouns will end in an 'o'.
- El niño - the boy.
- El perro (🐕) - the dog.
- El teatro - the theatre.
Masculine and plural nouns
- 'Los' comes before nouns that are plural and masculine.
- Most masculine plural nouns will end in 'os'.
- Los niños - the boys.
- Los perros (🐕) - the dogs.
- Los teatros - the theatres.
Feminine and singular nouns
- 'La' comes before nouns that are singular and feminine.
- Most feminine singular nouns will end in 'a'.
- La niña - the girl.
- La piscina - the swimming pool.
- La guitarra - the guitar.
Feminine and plural nouns
- If a noun is plural and feminine it uses the definite article of 'las'.
- Most feminine plural nouns will end in'as'.
- Las niñas - the girls.
- Las piscinas - the swimming pools.
- E.g. Las guitarras (the guitars).
An exception
- The word that comes before feminine words that start with a stressed 'a' or 'h' is 'el' instead of 'la'.
- El agua - water.
- El aula - the classroom.
Uses of the Definite Article
Before a specific noun
- This is the same use as in English, when the noun is very specific.
- Londres es la capital de Inglaterra.
- London is the capital of England.
- Londres es la capital de Inglaterra.
When a noun is used in a general sense
- Me gustan las frutas.
- I like fruit.
With countries and places
- In Spanish they tend to omit the article with countries but three must have the definite article.
- El Reino Unido, Los Países Bajos, El Salvador.
- The United Kingdom, The Netherlands, El Salvador.
- El Reino Unido, Los Países Bajos, El Salvador.
- Vivo en la Plaza Mayor.
- I live in the Plaza Mayor.
- El Océano Indico.
- The Indian Ocean.
With times, dates and periods
- The definite article is used for days of the week and dates.
- El partido es el miércoles. (The match is on Wednesday).
- Mi cumpleaños es el 12 de enero. (My birthday is the 12th of January).
- When you are referring to a time period.
- El año que viene.(Next year).
- When talking about the time of day.
- Son las cinco y media. (It is five thirty).
1Los valores tradicionales y modernos
1.1Los cambios en la familia
1.2Actitudes hacia el matrimonio/el divorcio
2El ciberespacio
2.1La influencia de internet
2.2Las redes sociales: beneficios y peligros
3La igualdad de los sexos
3.1La mujer en el mercado laboral
3.2El machismo y el feminismo
4La inmigración
4.1Los beneficios y los aspectos negativos
4.2La inmigración en el mundo hispánico
5El racismo
5.1Las actitudes racistas y xenófobas
5.2Las medidas contra el racismo
6La convivencia
6.1La convivencia de culturas
6.2La educación
7La influencia de los ídolos
7.1Cantantes y músicos
7.2Estrellas de televisión y cine
8La identidad regional en España
8.1Tradiciones y costumbres
8.2La gastronomía
9El patrimonio cultural
9.1Sitios turísticos y civilizaciones prehispánicas
9.2Arte y arquitectura
10El Laberinto del Fauno
10.1Temas
10.2Marco histórico
10.3Personajes
11Nouns
11.1Singular & Plural Forms
11.3Affective Suffixes
12Articles
12.1Definite & Indefinite
12.2El with Feminine Nouns
12.3Lo + Adjective
13Adjectives
13.1Agreement
13.2Position
13.4Comparative & Superlative
13.5Use of Adjectives as Nouns
13.6Demonstrative
13.7Indefinite
13.8Possessive
13.9Interrogative & Exclamative
13.10Relative
14Numerals & Quantifiers
14.1Cardinal
14.2Ordinal
14.3Agreement
14.4Expressions of Time and Date
14.5Quantifiers
15Pronouns
15.1Object: Direct & Indirect
15.2Reflexive
15.3Unstressed & Stressed Forms
15.4Position & Order
15.5Relative
15.6Demonstrative
15.7Indefinite
15.8Possessive
15.9Interrogative
16Verbs
16.1Regular Conjunctions
16.2Regular & Irregular Verbs
16.3Agreement of Verb & Subject
16.4Use of Hay Que in All Tenses
16.5Present Tense
16.6Preterite Tense
16.6.1Irregular IR Verbs - Decir, Venir & Ir16.6.2Irregular ER Verbs 216.6.3Irregular AR Verbs16.6.4Regular IR Verbs16.6.5Irregular AR Verbs 216.6.6Irregular IR Verbs 316.6.7Regular ER Verbs16.6.8Irregular ER Verbs16.6.9Irregular IR Verbs - Preterite16.6.10Regular AR Verbs16.6.11Irregular ER Verbs - Ver & Tener
16.7Imperfect Tense
16.8Future Tense
16.9Conditional Tense
16.10Perfect Tense
16.11Future Perfect Tense
16.12Conditional Perfect Tense
16.13Pluperfect Tense
16.14Infinitive, Gerund & Past Participle
16.15Verbal Paraphrases
16.16Use of the Subjunctive
16.17Commands
16.18Conditional Sentences
16.19After Conjunctions of Time
16.20After Para Que, Sin Que
16.21In Relative Clauses
16.22After Other Subordinating Conjunctions
16.23With Verbs of Wishing & Commanding
16.24Sequence of Tense in Indirect Speech
16.25Voice
16.26Use of the Reflexives as a Passive
16.27Use of the Reflexive to Express an Impersonal
16.28Use of Ser + Past Participle
16.29Use of Estar + Past Participle
16.30'Nuance' Reflexive Verbs
16.31Modes of Address
16.32Constructions with Verbs
16.33Verbs Followed by an Infinitive
17Prepositions & Conjunctions
17.1All Prepositions
17.2'Personal' a
17.3Discrimination of Por and Para
17.4Coordinating Conjunctions
17.5Subordinating Conjunctions
17.6Use of Que to Introduce a Clause
18Negation, Questions & Commands
18.1Negation
19Word Order, Other Constructions & Discourse Marker
19.1Subject Following Verb
19.2Focalisation
19.3Time Expressions with Hace/Hacía
19.4Cleft Sentences
19.5Comparative Constructions
19.6Indirect Speech
19.7Discourse Markers
Jump to other topics
1Los valores tradicionales y modernos
1.1Los cambios en la familia
1.2Actitudes hacia el matrimonio/el divorcio
2El ciberespacio
2.1La influencia de internet
2.2Las redes sociales: beneficios y peligros
3La igualdad de los sexos
3.1La mujer en el mercado laboral
3.2El machismo y el feminismo
4La inmigración
4.1Los beneficios y los aspectos negativos
4.2La inmigración en el mundo hispánico
5El racismo
5.1Las actitudes racistas y xenófobas
5.2Las medidas contra el racismo
6La convivencia
6.1La convivencia de culturas
6.2La educación
7La influencia de los ídolos
7.1Cantantes y músicos
7.2Estrellas de televisión y cine
8La identidad regional en España
8.1Tradiciones y costumbres
8.2La gastronomía
9El patrimonio cultural
9.1Sitios turísticos y civilizaciones prehispánicas
9.2Arte y arquitectura
10El Laberinto del Fauno
10.1Temas
10.2Marco histórico
10.3Personajes
11Nouns
11.1Singular & Plural Forms
11.3Affective Suffixes
12Articles
12.1Definite & Indefinite
12.2El with Feminine Nouns
12.3Lo + Adjective
13Adjectives
13.1Agreement
13.2Position
13.4Comparative & Superlative
13.5Use of Adjectives as Nouns
13.6Demonstrative
13.7Indefinite
13.8Possessive
13.9Interrogative & Exclamative
13.10Relative
14Numerals & Quantifiers
14.1Cardinal
14.2Ordinal
14.3Agreement
14.4Expressions of Time and Date
14.5Quantifiers
15Pronouns
15.1Object: Direct & Indirect
15.2Reflexive
15.3Unstressed & Stressed Forms
15.4Position & Order
15.5Relative
15.6Demonstrative
15.7Indefinite
15.8Possessive
15.9Interrogative
16Verbs
16.1Regular Conjunctions
16.2Regular & Irregular Verbs
16.3Agreement of Verb & Subject
16.4Use of Hay Que in All Tenses
16.5Present Tense
16.6Preterite Tense
16.6.1Irregular IR Verbs - Decir, Venir & Ir16.6.2Irregular ER Verbs 216.6.3Irregular AR Verbs16.6.4Regular IR Verbs16.6.5Irregular AR Verbs 216.6.6Irregular IR Verbs 316.6.7Regular ER Verbs16.6.8Irregular ER Verbs16.6.9Irregular IR Verbs - Preterite16.6.10Regular AR Verbs16.6.11Irregular ER Verbs - Ver & Tener
16.7Imperfect Tense
16.8Future Tense
16.9Conditional Tense
16.10Perfect Tense
16.11Future Perfect Tense
16.12Conditional Perfect Tense
16.13Pluperfect Tense
16.14Infinitive, Gerund & Past Participle
16.15Verbal Paraphrases
16.16Use of the Subjunctive
16.17Commands
16.18Conditional Sentences
16.19After Conjunctions of Time
16.20After Para Que, Sin Que
16.21In Relative Clauses
16.22After Other Subordinating Conjunctions
16.23With Verbs of Wishing & Commanding
16.24Sequence of Tense in Indirect Speech
16.25Voice
16.26Use of the Reflexives as a Passive
16.27Use of the Reflexive to Express an Impersonal
16.28Use of Ser + Past Participle
16.29Use of Estar + Past Participle
16.30'Nuance' Reflexive Verbs
16.31Modes of Address
16.32Constructions with Verbs
16.33Verbs Followed by an Infinitive
17Prepositions & Conjunctions
17.1All Prepositions
17.2'Personal' a
17.3Discrimination of Por and Para
17.4Coordinating Conjunctions
17.5Subordinating Conjunctions
17.6Use of Que to Introduce a Clause
18Negation, Questions & Commands
18.1Negation
19Word Order, Other Constructions & Discourse Marker
19.1Subject Following Verb
19.2Focalisation
19.3Time Expressions with Hace/Hacía
19.4Cleft Sentences
19.5Comparative Constructions
19.6Indirect Speech
19.7Discourse Markers
Practice questions on Definite Articles
Can you answer these? Test yourself with free interactive practice on Seneca — used by over 10 million students.
- 1How do you say 'the wedding' in Spanish?Multiple choice
- 2¿Qué hora es?Multiple choice
- 3How do you say 'last week' in Spanish?Multiple choice
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