Ch 1 · Lesson 12Spanish · Chapter 1 · Lesson 12 · Grammar primer
Spanish articles: el, la, un, una
The and a, in both genders and the plural: , , , . The noun picks the article.
The short version
The noun picks the article
.
Why?Hide
Spanish has eight articles: , , and for the, and , , and for a or some. Choose the row by meaning, then let the noun's gender and number pick the form: , , , . Learn every noun with its article and the choice makes itself.
The eight articles
Pick the row by meaning (the or a), then the column by the noun.
| Singular | Plural | |
|---|---|---|
| the (masc.) | | |
| the (fem.) | | |
| a (masc.) | | |
| a (fem.) | | |
Same colour, same gender, all page long: blue is masculine, rose is feminine.
Definite vs indefinite
The split is the English one. The definite articles mean the, a thing you both know. The indefinite ones mean a or some: one of many, or something new.
| Spanish | English | Why |
|---|---|---|
| the car | the one we both know |
| a car | any car, or a new one |
| the books | those particular books |
| some books | English often drops some |
English has no plural of a, so and often vanish in translation:
.- I bought (some) shoes..- I'got some books for you.
Gender agreement
Every Spanish noun is masculine or feminine, and the article matches it. The ending is a strong clue:
| Ending | Usually | Example | English |
|---|---|---|---|
| -o | masculine | | the book |
| -a | feminine | | the house |
| -ción, -dad | feminine | | the song |
the book
the house
the song
The best-known exceptions:
The noun gender page has the full set of endings and exceptions.
Number agreement
The article goes plural with the noun. Add -s after a vowel and -es after a consonant (noun plurals has the details).
| Singular | Plural | English |
|---|---|---|
| | the book(s) |
| | the table(s) |
| | the hospital(s) |
| | the song(s) |
One apple takes la, several take las: the article and the noun go plural together.
Going further: The two contractions: al and del and the rest of the guide, when you want them. This lesson does not need them.
Practice
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9-question session
One question at a time, mixed across the exercises in this lesson. Miss one and it comes back round before the end.
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Lesson 12 of 17 in this chapter