Articles: el, la, los, las · un, una
“The” and “a” in Spanish change with the noun. Learn the rule, then practise it four ways.
PART01
Theory
Every Spanish noun is masculine or feminine. The article matches it.
Definite: “the”
| Singular | Plural | |
|---|---|---|
| Masc. | el libro | los libros |
| Fem. | la casa | las casas |
Indefinite: “a / some”
| Singular | Plural | |
|---|---|---|
| Masc. | un perro | unos perros |
| Fem. | una mesa | unas mesas |
Ends in -o → usually masculine
el vaso, el gato, un libro = the glass, the cat, a book
Ends in -a → usually feminine
la casa, la mesa, una chica = the house, the table, a girl
-ción, -dad, -tad → feminine
la canción, la ciudad, la libertad = the song, the city, freedom
Watch out: exceptions
Masculine:
el día, el mapa, el problema = the day, the map, the problem
Feminine:
la mano, la foto, la radio = the hand, the photo, the radio
Stressed a- → el
el agua fría = the cold water
Feminine word, but el sounds better.
Plural is still las aguas.
Contractions
a + el = al
de + el = del
Voy al parque. = I’m going to the park.
Vengo del mercado. = I’m coming from the market.