Ch 1 · Lesson 13Spanish · Chapter 1 · Lesson 13 · Grammar primer
Los perros, es médico: when the article comes and goes
Spanish keeps the article for things in general, days and body parts, and drops it for a bare job after : , .
The short version
When in doubt, keep the Spanish article
.
Why?Hide
Spanish keeps the article in places English drops it, among them general statements about a class, abstract nouns, days of the week, a language as the topic ( ) and body parts. is I like dogs, not the dogs. You will be wrong less often by over-articulating than by under-articulating.
Where Spanish drops the article and English keeps it
.
Why?Hide
After plus a profession, nationality or religion with no adjective, Spanish leaves the article out: . The profession is behaving more like an adjective than a noun. Add a modifier and the article comes straight back: .
When Spanish uses an article and English doesn't
This is where English speakers slip. Spanish keeps the definite article in all of these:
| Use | Spanish | English |
|---|---|---|
| Things in general | . | I like dogs. |
| Abstract nouns | . | Life is like that. |
| Days | . | I'll see you on Monday. |
| Every Monday | . | I work on Mondays. |
| A language as topic | . | Spanish is easy. |
| Body parts | . | My head hurts. |
| Clock times | . | It's two o'clock. |
| Titles (about) | García . | Mr García isn't in. |
Three of these have a twist:
- Body parts take the article, not my:
.- I wash my hands. - A language straight after
loses it:.- I speak Spanish. - A title loses it when you speak to the person:
, García.- Good morning, Mr García.
When Spanish drops the article and English keeps it
The other direction is shorter, and each item is one habit.
| Use | Spanish | English |
|---|---|---|
| Job after | . | He's a doctor. |
| Nationality | . | She's English. |
. | I want another coffee. | |
| , | . | It costs a hundred . |
. | Wait half an hour. | |
| + noun | ¡ ! | What a day! |
| One normal item | ¿ ? | Have you got a car? |
The job rule has an exception: add an adjective and the article comes back.
.- He's a doctor..- He's an excellent doctor.
is not impossible: said with weight it means he is a real doctor, or picks him out as one doctor among others. As a plain statement of what someone does for a living, leave the article out.
¿ ? asks whether you are a car owner, the normal state of things. With it counts: . - I' got one car and two motorbikes.
Going further: The eight articles and the rest of the guide, when you want them. This lesson does not need them.
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Lesson 13 of 17 in this chapter