/ðə/ ES
/ðiː/ MX
Translation
Used before a noun when the listener already knows which person or thing you mean.
Word origin
From Old English se and þe, the demonstrative that weakened into the single definite article 'the' as English lost its grammatical gender.
- Origin
- Old English
- Root
- þe
Examples
.
Shut the one particular door we both know about.
.
There is only one sun, so we always say "the sun".
.
Out of all the teachers, this one is number one.
Used in
Stories
(41)A New Day
1 min read · Core 1000
A Day Together
2 min read · Core 1000
The First Day
2 min read · Core 1000
The New House
2 min read · Core 1000
A Day at the Farm
3 min read · Core 1000
A Rainy Afternoon
3 min read · Core 1000
At the Doctor
3 min read · Core 1000
Cooking Together
3 min read · Core 1000
The First Day at Work
3 min read · Core 1000
Lost in Town
3 min read · Core 1000
Market Day
3 min read · Core 1000
Market Morning
3 min read · Core 1000
Sports Day
3 min read · Core 1000
The Journey
3 min read · Core 1000
The Late Bus
3 min read · Core 1000
The New Neighbour
3 min read · Core 1000
The Phone Call
3 min read · Core 1000
The Rescue
3 min read · Core 1000
The Surprise Party
3 min read · Core 1000
Before the Doors Open
4 min read · Core 5000
One Sheep Short
4 min read · Core 5000
The Boat in the Garden
4 min read · Core 5000
The Broken Window
4 min read · Core 5000
The Clock in the Hall
4 min read · Core 5000
The Letter She Never Sent
4 min read · Core 5000
The Long Way Home
4 min read · Core 1000
The Passenger
4 min read · Core 5000
Two Gardens
4 min read · Core 5000
Not in Front of Them
5 min read · Core 1000
The Box in the Wood
5 min read · Core 5000
The First Letter
5 min read · Core 5000
The Midnight Piano
5 min read · Core 5000
The Night Route
5 min read · Core 5000
The Photograph
5 min read · Core 5000
The Register
5 min read · Core 5000
The Suggestion Box
5 min read · Core 5000
The Swimming Lesson
5 min read · Core 5000
The Tuesday Visitor
5 min read · Core 5000
The Whale on the Beach
5 min read · Core 5000
Two Tickets to Paris
5 min read · Core 5000
The Last Light
8 min read · Core 5000
Grammar articles
(61)Adjective order in English: opinion, size, age, shape, colour, origin, material, purpose
Adverb position in English: before the verb, after be, and the just, still and already traps
Advanced articles in English: the zero article, the with names and places, and go to school vs go to the school
Articles in English: a, an, the and the zero article
As vs like in English: swims like a fish, works as a waiter, and the truth about like I said
Both, either and neither in English: the two-of-something words, agreement traps, and Me neither
British vs American grammar: have got, gotten, the team are, and the other quiet differences
Causative have and get in English: have something done, get something done and having someone do it
Cleft sentences in English: it was X who, what I need is, and how to move the emphasis
Comparatives and superlatives in English: the complete guide
Compound nouns in English: car park, coffee cup, and why GREENhouse is not green HOUSE
Conditional sentences in English: the four types explained
Countable and uncountable nouns in English: advice, information, news and the ones you simply have to learn
Discourse markers in English: well, anyway, actually, mind you and by the way
Dummy subjects in English: it's raining, there's a problem, and why the subject slot is never empty
Ellipsis and substitution in English: I think so, neither do I, and the words you are allowed to leave out
Emphasis in English: I do like it, my own, the very, and how to push back
For, since, already, yet and still in English: which word, and where it goes in the sentence
Future continuous and future perfect in English: will be doing vs will have done
Future in the past: was going to, would, was about to, and the grammar of plans that failed
Future tense in English: will, going to and more explained
Gerund and infinitive: which verb form comes next?
Gradable and ungradable adjectives: why very furious sounds wrong, and which intensifier goes where
English grammar test: 30 questions with answers (A2-B2)
Hedging and vague language in English: sort of, a bit, -ish, stuff and or so
Indirect questions in English: Could you tell me where the station is, and the word order that goes with it
Inversion and word order in English: the subject-verb-object spine and when it flips
Irregular verbs in English: the full list by pattern
Linking words in English: however, although, despite, whereas and therefore
Mixed conditionals in English: past causes with present results, and present causes with past results
Modal verbs in English: rules, examples and how to use them
Modals of deduction in English: must be, might be, could be and can't be
Nominalisation in English: arrive becomes arrival, decide becomes decision, and why written English turns actions into things
Participle clauses in English: -ing and -ed clauses, and the dangling participle trap
Advanced passive structures in English: the get-passive, it is said that, and passives with two objects
Passive voice in English: rules, examples and when to use it
Past continuous tense: was and were plus -ing, and when to use it instead of the past simple
Past modals in English: should have, could have, must have and might have
Past perfect tense: had plus past participle, and when English actually needs it
Past simple tense: rules, examples and when to use it
Phrasal verbs in English: rules, examples and how to use them
Prepositions in English: place, time and movement explained
Present continuous tense: form, spelling and uses
Present perfect continuous: have been doing, and how it differs from the present perfect
Present perfect tense: rules, examples and when to use it
Present simple tense: rules, examples and when to use it
Quantifiers in English: some, any, much, many and more
Question tags in English: the mirror rule, aren't I, and tags after let's and imperatives
Reflexive and reciprocal pronouns in English: myself, yourself, each other, and when English does not bother
Relative clauses in English: defining, non-defining and when to drop the pronoun
Reported speech in English: backshift, questions and commands
Reporting verbs in English: admit, deny, suggest, promise, and the pattern welded to each one
So, such, too and enough in English: words of degree and result
The subjunctive and the unreal past in English: I suggest he go, if I were you, and it's time we left
English tenses explained: all 12 with a master table
Time clauses in English: when, while, as soon as, until, before and after
Used to, would and be used to: talking about past habits and states in English
Verb patterns with objects in English: want somebody to do, make somebody do, and see somebody doing
Wish and if only in English: wish + past, wish + past perfect, wish + would, and why I wish I would is wrong
Word formation with prefixes: un-, in-, im-, dis-, re-, over-, under- and mis-
Word formation in English: how suffixes build word families and give away the part of speech
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Go to my review queueThis word is part of lesson 1.