The main rule
The article has the gender and number of its noun: el / la / los / las (the) and un / una / unos / unas (a, an, some). Use un / una when the thing is new, el / la when it is known or unique. Spanish also uses el / los for general statements: Los perros son leales.
The forms
| Article | Masculine | Feminine |
|---|---|---|
| the (singular) | el libro, el café | la casa, la llave |
| the (plural) | los libros, los cafés | las casas, las llaves |
| a, an (singular) | un libro, un café | una casa, una llave |
| some (plural) | unos libros, unos cafés | unas casas, unas llaves |
English has one "the" and one "a / an" for every noun, so the article never shows gender. In Spanish it does, and it also shows number: you cannot say *el casa or *los mesas. Learn each noun with its article: la mesa, el día, la mano. Unos / unas is the plural of un / una and means "some": unas flores.
Examples
- Tengo un perro. El perro se llama Max. I have a dog. The dog is called Max.
- Hay una farmacia en la calle. There is a pharmacy on the street.
- Necesito unas llaves. I need some keys.
- Me gusta el café. I like coffee.
- Los gatos son independientes. Cats are independent.
- El español es bonito. Spanish is beautiful.
- El agua está fría. The water is cold.
- Voy al parque. I am going to the park.
- Es el libro del profesor. It is the teacher's book.
- Soy enfermero. I am a nurse.
A new thing or a known thing
On first mention use un / una / unos / unas: Hay una farmacia aquí. Once both people know which one, or when only one exists, use el / la / los / las: La farmacia está en la calle Mayor. El sol es amarillo. Think of "a / an" and "the": the choice is the same as in English.
General statements take el, la, los, las
Here Spanish and English differ. English says "Cats are independent" and "I like coffee", with no article. Spanish keeps the definite article: Los gatos son independientes. Me gusta el café. El español es bonito. A bare noun in these sentences is an error. For a general statement about a plural, use los / las; for a singular thing or a language, el / la.
El agua, el aula
A feminine noun that begins with a stressed a- takes el (and un) in the singular, to avoid two a sounds in a row: el agua, un agua, el aula. It is still feminine: the adjective stays feminine (el agua fría) and the plural is las aguas, las aulas. Nouns with an unstressed a- do not change: la amiga, la abuela, la alfombra.
Al and del
A + el becomes al, and de + el becomes del: Voy al cine. Vivo cerca del parque. Always write the contraction; *a el and *de el are wrong. It happens only with el: a la, de la, a los, de los, a las and de las stay as they are.
When there is no article
After ser, a plain profession or nationality has no article: Soy enfermero. Mi madre es médica. Add an adjective or description and the article returns: Es un médico muy bueno. With tener and a common noun, a negative or a question usually has none: No tengo coche. ¿Tienes hermanos? No tengo tiempo. Use un / el when you mean one particular thing: No tengo el coche aquí.
Learn nouns with the article
Do not memorize casa alone. Memorize la casa, el café, la leche. The article is the quickest way to hear the gender and to check the adjective: el café caliente, la leche caliente.
Common mistakes
La agua está fría.El agua está fría. Feminine nouns with stressed a- take el in the singular.Me gusta café.Me gusta el café. A general statement about a thing needs the article.Perros son leales.Los perros son leales. Spanish keeps the article when it talks about dogs in general.Hay unos flores.Hay unas flores. Flor is feminine, so the plural article is unas.Es el libro de el profesor.Es el libro del profesor. De + el always contracts to del.El casa es grande.La casa es grande. Casa is feminine, so the article is la.Los manos son pequeñas.Las manos son pequeñas. Mano is feminine, even though it ends in -o.
Questions and answers
What is the difference between el and un in Spanish?
El (the) points to a known or unique thing, un (a) introduces a new one. Tengo un perro. El perro se llama Max.
Why does Spanish say el agua if agua is feminine?
A feminine noun with a stressed a- uses el in the singular for sound. It stays feminine: el agua fría, las aguas.
Why do you need el in Me gusta el café?
Spanish uses the definite article for general statements, where English uses none: Me gusta el café, Los gatos son independientes.
Do you say a or an before a job in Spanish?
Not in a plain statement: Soy enfermero, Es médico. With an adjective you use un / una: Es una médica excelente.
Is it de el or del?
Always del, and al for a + el. Voy al parque, el libro del profesor. With la, los and las nothing contracts.
What does unos or unas mean?
It means "some": unos libros, unas llaves. It is the plural of un and una.