11.1.1

Definite Article

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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

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

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

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

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

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

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.
When a noun is used in a general sense

When a noun is used in a general sense

  • Me gustan las frutas.
    • I like fruit.
With countries and places

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.
  • Vivo en la Plaza Mayor.
    • I live in the Plaza Mayor.
  • El Océano Indico.
    • The Indian Ocean.
With times, dates and periods

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).
Jump to other topics
1

The Basics

1.1

Pronouns

1.1.1Personal Pronouns
1.2

Verbs

1.2.13 Types of Verbs
1.3

Nouns

1.3.1Noun Endings
1.4

Adjectives

1.4.1Gender1.4.2Position
1.5

Abbreviations

1.5.1Common Abbreviations
1.6

Time

1.6.1Time Expressions (1/2)1.6.2Time Expressions (2/2)1.6.3Time1.6.4Telling the Time1.6.5Seasons1.6.6Sometimes1.6.7A While
2

Home & Abroad

2.1

Town & Region

2.1.1Shops2.1.2Places2.1.3Town & Region2.1.4Town & Countryside2.1.5Weather
2.2

Holiday

2.2.1Countries2.2.2Holidays2.2.3Opinions2.2.4Accomodation2.2.5Eating Out2.2.6Tourism2.2.7Directions2.2.8Near, There
2.3

Customs

2.3.1Customs & Festivals2.3.2Customs & Festivals 2
2.4

Everyday Life, Traditions & Communities

2.4.1Greetings
3

Education & Employment

3.1

School Life

3.1.1School3.1.2Subjects3.1.3A Good Student3.1.4Life at School
3.2

School Trips

3.2.1School Trips
3.3

Work

3.3.1Types of Jobs3.3.2Work3.3.3Languages3.3.4Charity
3.4

Future Plans

3.4.1University3.4.2Future Study
4

Personal Life & Relationships

4.1

House & Home

4.1.1Home4.1.2What is in Your House?4.1.3Near Your Home4.1.4Common Prepositions4.1.5Greetings
4.2

Daily Routines & Helping at Home

4.2.1Daily Routine4.2.2Helping at Home
4.3

Family & Friends

4.3.1Age & Name: Introduction4.3.2Age & Name4.3.3Personality4.3.4Physical Appearance4.3.5Family: Relationships4.3.6Family4.3.7Friends (1/2)4.3.8Friends (2/2)4.3.9Describing Family4.3.10Describing People4.3.11Relationships4.3.12Relationships: Important Verbs4.3.13Role Model4.3.14Childhood
5

The World Around Us

5.1

Environmental Issues

5.1.1Environment5.1.2Climate Change
5.2

Weather

5.2.1The Weather
5.3

Travel & Transport

5.3.1Going on Holiday
5.4

The Media

5.4.1Social Media5.4.2Opinions on Social Media5.4.3Opinions on Social Media 2
5.5

Information & Communication

5.5.1Mobile Technology5.5.2Using our Devices
6

Social Activities, Fitness & Health

6.1

Special Occasions

6.1.1Numbers (1 - 20)6.1.2Numbers (21 - 100)6.1.3Parties
6.2

Hobbies & Interests

6.2.1What I Like: Gustar6.2.2Music6.2.3Cinema & TV6.2.4Sport (1/2)6.2.5Sport (2/2)6.2.6Fashion
6.3

Shopping & Money Matters

6.3.1Food & Clothes Shopping6.3.2Food & Clothes Shopping 26.3.3Money Matters
6.4

Injuries, Illness & Health

6.4.1Healthy Lifestyle6.4.2The Body6.4.3Illness
6.5

Food & Drink

6.5.1Meat6.5.2Fish6.5.3Other Food6.5.4Fruit & Veg6.5.5Drinks & Snacks6.5.6Dairy & Other
7

Listening

7.1

Town & Region

7.1.1My Neighbourhood7.1.2Poverty & Homelessness
7.2

Holiday

7.2.1Tourism
7.3

Customs

7.3.1Day of the Dead
7.4

Education

7.4.1Life at School7.4.2Education Post-167.4.3Jobs, Careers, & Ambition7.4.4Charity & Voluntary Work
7.5

Personal Life & Relationships

7.5.1Family & Friends7.5.2Marriage & Partnerships
7.6

The Media & Technology

7.6.1Social Media7.6.2Mobile Technology
7.7

Social Activities

7.7.1Music7.7.2Cinema & TV7.7.3Food & Eating Out7.7.4Sport
7.8

The Environment

7.8.1The Environment
7.9

Fitness & Health

7.9.1Healthy & Unhealthy Living
8

Common Tenses

8.1

Present Tense

8.1.1Regular AR Verbs8.1.2Negative Verbs8.1.3Irregular AR Verbs8.1.4Irregular AR Verbs: Exceptions8.1.5Regular ER Verbs8.1.6Irregular ER Verbs8.1.7Irregular ER Verbs 28.1.8Regular IR Verbs8.1.9Irregular IR Verbs8.1.10Irregular IR Verbs 28.1.11Irregular IR Verbs 38.1.12Irregular IR Verbs 48.1.13Verb Phrases8.1.14The Use of 'Se'
8.2

Preterite Tense

8.2.1Regular AR Verbs8.2.2Irregular AR Verbs (1/4)8.2.3Irregular AR Verbs (2/4)8.2.4Irregular AR Verbs (3/4)8.2.5Irregular AR Verbs (4/4)8.2.6Regular ER Verbs8.2.7Irregular ER Verbs (1/5)8.2.8Irregular ER Verbs (2/5)8.2.9Irregular ER Verbs (3/5)8.2.10Irregular ER Verbs (4/5)8.2.11Irregular ER Verbs (5/5)8.2.12Regular IR Verbs8.2.13Irregular IR Verbs (1/6)8.2.14Irregular IR Verbs (2/6)8.2.15Irregular IR Verbs (3/6)8.2.16Irregular IR Verbs (4/6)8.2.17Irregular IR Verbs (5/6)8.2.18Irregular IR Verbs (6/6)
8.3

Imperfect Tense

8.3.1Regular Verbs (1/2)8.3.2Regular Verbs (2/2)8.3.3Irregular Verbs - Ir & Ver8.3.4Irregular Verbs - Ser
8.4

Preterite vs Imperfect Tenses

8.4.1Uses8.4.2Preterite vs Imperfect
8.5

Future Tense

8.5.1The Future with 'Ir'
9

Important Verbs

9.1

To Be - 'Ser' & 'Estar'

9.1.1Conjugation9.1.2Uses of 'Ser'9.1.3Expressions Using 'Ser'9.1.4Uses of 'Estar'9.1.5Expressions Using 'Estar' (1/2)9.1.6Expressions Using 'Estar' (2/2)
9.2

To Like - 'Gustar'

9.2.1How to Use 'Gustar'
9.3

To Have - 'Tener'

9.3.1How to Use 'Tener'9.3.2Phrases Using 'Tener'
10

Advanced Tenses

10.1

The Simple Future

10.1.1Regular Verbs10.1.2Regular Verbs 210.1.3Irregular Verbs10.1.4Irregular Verbs 2
10.2

Conditional Tense

10.2.1Regular Verbs10.2.2Regular IR Verbs10.2.3'Hacer' & 'Decir'10.2.4Irregular Verbs10.2.5Uses of the Conditional
10.3

Continuous Tenses

10.3.1Forming the Gerund10.3.2Changes to the Stem10.3.3Present Continuous10.3.4Uses of the Present Continuous10.3.5Imperfect Continuous
10.4

Perfect Tense

10.4.1Past Participles10.4.2Irregular Past Participles10.4.3Present Perfect10.4.4Uses of the Present Perfect10.4.5Pluperfect10.4.6Passive Voice
10.5

Present Subjunctive

10.5.1Present Subjunctive: AR Verbs10.5.2Present Subjunctive: ER Verbs10.5.3Present Subjunctive: IR Verbs10.5.4Irregular AR Verbs (1/3)10.5.5Irregular AR Verbs (2/3)10.5.6Irregular AR Verbs (3/3)10.5.7Irregular ER Verbs (1/2)10.5.8Irregular ER Verbs (2/2)10.5.9Irregular IR Verbs (1/3)10.5.10Irregular IR Verbs (2/3)10.5.11Irregular IR Verbs (3/3)10.5.12The Verb 'Ir'10.5.13Subjunctive Uses
10.6

Imperfect Subjunctive

10.6.1AR Verbs10.6.2ER Verbs10.6.3ER Verbs: Strong Preterites10.6.4IR Verbs10.6.5IR Verbs: Strong Preterites
10.7

Imperative

10.7.1The Imperative10.7.2Negative Imperative10.7.3Irregular Imperatives
11

Extra Grammar

11.1

Articles

11.1.1Definite Article11.1.2Indefinite Article11.1.3Lo + Adjective
11.2

Negatives

11.2.1Just the 'Nada' Bit11.2.2Negatives
11.3

Nouns

11.3.1People & Animals (1/2)11.3.2People & Animals (2/2)11.3.3Masculine & Feminine Nouns11.3.4Masculine & Feminine Exceptions11.3.5Masculine & Feminine11.3.6Masculine & Feminine 211.3.7Forming the Plural
11.4

Asking Questions

11.4.1How to Ask a Question11.4.2Question Words 211.4.3Common Questions
11.5

Adjectives

11.5.1Other Adjectives11.5.2Adjectives that Remain the Same11.5.3'Grande' & 'Bueno'11.5.4Plural11.5.5The Best, The Worst11.5.6This, These, That and Those11.5.7Possession11.5.8Posession (2/2)11.5.9Whose11.5.10Indefinite
11.6

Adverbs

11.6.1Adding 'Mente'11.6.2Common Phrases with Adverbs11.6.3Common Phrases with Adverbs 211.6.4Still & Yet
11.7

Conjunctions

11.7.1What are Conjunctions?11.7.2Connectors
11.8

Pronouns

11.8.1This, These, That & Those11.8.2Possession11.8.3Someone, Something11.8.4Reflexive Pronouns11.8.5Direct Object11.8.6After Prepositions11.8.7Que and Quien11.8.8'El Que' and 'El Cual'
11.9

By, With, From, Of

11.9.1By, With, From, Of11.9.2'Por' & 'Para' (1/2)11.9.3'Por' & 'Para' (2/2)
11.10

Verbs

11.10.1Derivatives11.10.2Derivatives 211.10.3Reflexives11.10.4Common Reflexive Verbs11.10.5Common Reflexive Verbs 2
11.11

Comparisons

11.11.1Comparisons (1/2)11.11.2Comparisons (2/2)

Practice questions on Definite Article

Can you answer these? Test yourself with free interactive practice on Seneca — used by over 10 million students.

  1. 1
    How do you say 'the wedding' in Spanish?Multiple choice
  2. 2
    ¿Qué hora es?Multiple choice
  3. 3
    How do you say 'last week' in Spanish?Multiple choice
  4. 4
    En una clase de música, el profesor presenta a un alumno que toca un instrumento y otro que canta.<br><br> ¿Cuál de estas opciones es correcta si 'guitarras' es una palabra femenina plural?Multiple choice
  5. 5
    Carla está hablando de sus amigos del colegio y quiere decir 'the boys' en español.<br><br> ¿Cuál es la forma correcta que debe usar si 'niños' es una palabra masculina plural?Multiple choice
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Irregular Imperatives

Indefinite Article