What is an Article in Spanish?
An article is an adjective that modifies nouns like any person, animals, place, objects, ideas, etc. In English, there are commonly two articles are used: “the” and “a” or “an”.
“The” refers to any definite or specific article whereas “a/an” refers to an indefinite article. These can either be singular or plural.
For example-
Meaning of Definite and Indefinite Articles
The definite and indefinite articles in Spanish are much more contrary and the uses are a bit different than in English.
In Spanish, we use articles for specific and unspecific objects. Moreover, they are important to correct and accurate speech.
The only problem is that we have to remember gender because the gender of the article must match the gender of the noun.
There are various conditions such as talking about transport, dates, the time, or referring to someone’s identity where Spanish articles don’t act as you would think.
Although in Spanish, articles cause some difficulties in the topics such as ser and estar, por and para, or direct and indirect objects. You need to learn articles to grow a deep understanding of exceptions, and these frequently occurring Spanish words.
Here, you will learn all about Spanish definite and indefinite articles including the difference between both articles, what they are, when to use them, when not to use them, contractions of the definite article, and exclusion in both the articles.
Difference between Definite and Indefinite Article
The basic difference between the definite article and the indefinite article is that the first talks about a specific noun, and the second talks about a universal noun.
The translation of definite "the" article into Spanish also happens to be the most frequently occurring pair of words, the Spanish definite articles are- el and la.
In both English and Spanish languages, we need definite articles to refer to specific things or people in a group or class.
In Spanish articles, if you want to refer to a specific thing or person, you will need to be carefully matching the article with the gender and plural of the noun. There are four forms for the translation of definite article ‘the’ into - el, la, Los, and las.
For example
What are Definite Articles?
The definite article is used to refer to something specific. In English, the article would be ‘the’. In Spanish, you have four options depending on the gender and the number. There are four forms of a definite article in Spanish such as el, la, los, and las.
“El” is always used for singular, masculine words whereas “La” is always used for singular, feminine words. Just like, “Los” is always used for the plural, masculine words whereas “Las” is always used for the plural, feminine words.
Contractions with Definite Articles
In Spanish, when the definite article el is preceded by a or de, it forms a contraction with those words for easy pronunciation, just like how “a” turns into “an” in some sentences. Just as “A + el = al” and “De + el = del”.
What are Indefinite Articles?
When you use the indefinite article, you are not referring to a specific person or thing. The indefinite articles are ‘a’, ‘an’ or ‘some’. It refers to the universal objects or nouns. There are four forms of the indefinite article in Spanish such as un, una, unos, and unas.
“Un” is always used for singular, masculine words whereas “Una” is always used for singular, feminine words. Just like, “Unos” is always used for the plural, masculine words whereas “Unas” is always used for the plural, feminine words.
Exclusion of Articles in Spanish
Articles in Spanish can be excluded in some particular conditions.
Definite Article
The definite article can be excluded when it is used with ordinal numbers for names of kings and queens. The Spanish article can’t be omitted when used with days of the week.
El shouldn’t be excluded with names of languages and phrases that contain the preposition en or verbs. In the same way, the definite article el can be excluded with seasons of the year and with means of transport.
Exclusion of Articles in Spanish (Indefinite)
In the Spanish indefinite article, exclusion of article is done when used after the verb ser, if the noun used is related to a profession, a nationality, or a religion, among others.
Some Void Rules for Articles in Spanish
1. When used with an Unspecified Quantity (alguna, alguno or algunas, algunos)
When we talk about an unspecified quantity of something or any uncountable nouns, we use the qualifiers “some” or “any” in English. But in Spanish, you don’t need to use an article when talking about an indefinite amount or using an uncountable noun.
When used with the Verb Tener (to have)
Sometimes you do not use an article after the verb tener (to have) in Spanish
Accurate Usage of Articles in Spanish
1. Use Definite Articles with Likes and Dislikes
In Spanish, you must use definite articles such as el, la, los, las when talking about common likes and dislikes. In English, we don’t mostly use these articles.
Use Definite Articles for Time
In Spanish, time indicates feminine gender, and you always need to include the feminine definite article (la or las) when saying about time.
For Example
Use Definite Articles with Days of the Week
In Spanish, you must use a definite pronoun before the day of the week, when talking about something happening on a specific day of the week. The days of the week are always masculine, so you will use either el or los.
When talking about one specific day of the week, use el whereas when talking about something habitual, or something that happens every week, you need to use los.
