Articles (part I)

Definite vs. indefinite

In short:

Articles help distinguish a specific object from a class.

Articles are auxiliar elements that augment a noun’s meaning. When there is a noun in a sentence, it’s referred either to a particular object, or to a category of objects.

For example, we can use the noun book to indicate a determined book on the shelf in someone’s bedroom, or just to give a general name to all printed objects with a cover and pages.

The problem is that the specific object and the category have the same name – book. There has to be a way to distinguish these notions. This is where articles come into play.

un libro – a book (category)

el libro – the book (unique object)

una mesa – a table (category)

la mesa – the table (unique object)

Veo una lámpara – I see a lamp (one object that belongs to the category of lamps)

Veo la lámpara – I see the lamp (the specific one)

Tengo un perro – I have a dog (one animal from the dogs class)

Tengo el perro – I have the dog (the specific animal is here with me)

In European languages articles play an important role. In Spanish you will more likely come across nouns with an article, rather than without any article at all.

more often: el perro, un perro

less often: perro

Try it yourself:

chair (furniture category)

chair (the one in your room)

hand (part of the body)

hand (yours)

I need a pencil

I need the pencil

Luisa buys a shirt

Luisa buys the shirt

Articles originally appeared to distinguish a specific object from a class. However, knowing it is not enough to choose always the right article. There are many particular use cases, or patterns, that you should get used to. Let’s observe the most typical situations, where indefinite or definite articles are used.

Indefinite articles

Esto es …

Esto es un barco – This is a ship

The Esto es … construction is needed to give names to objects.

Imagine, that you see a big floating thing in the sea, but you don’t exactly know what it is, to what category it can be attributed. Somebody tells you: Esto es un barco. Now it becomes clear – that thing belongs to the class of ships. Technically, you match that strange thing in the sea with the image of an average ship that you have in your mind.

Sometimes you might think, that if you see that thing, it automatically becomes a specific object, and you should apply a definite article. But if you say Esto es el barco, this will mean This is the ship, or This is that unique ship from some known context.

Use an indefinite article to give an object it’s name, or to say what category it belongs to.

¿Qué es esto?

Esto es un libro

If you replace Esto with a noun or a name, the grammar will remain the same.

Esto es un libro

Don Quijote es un libro

Esto es un perro

Bruno es un perro

Esto es una ciudad

Madrid es una ciudad

Nothing will change even if you add an adjective to the category name.

Don Quijote es un libro viejo

Bruno es un perro inteligente

Madrid es una ciudad grande

Try it yourself:

This is a phone

Nokia is a phone

Nokia is a mobile phone

This is a country

Argentina is a country

Argentina is a beautiful country

Pepe is a smart boy

Luisa is a very good person

tener

Tengo un hermano – I have a brother

This sentence means that a person has one family member from the category of brothers. You might think, that if you’ve known someone all your life, you need a definite article. This is not true. Tengo el hermano would mean That specific brother is here with me. This is not what you really want to say.

The verb tener, in most cases, requires an indefinite article, unless you need to say that a specific object is there with someone.

Traditionally, in Spanish parts of the body come with a definite article, even if the verb tener is applied.

Luisa tiene el pelo largo – Luisa has long hair

Tienes los ojos muy bonitos – You have very beautiful eyes

Try it yourself:

I have a bicycle

Ana’s house has a swimming pool

Do you have the key?

Alfredo has strong hands

hay

When it comes to the verb hay, it’s always referred to a category, but not to a unique object. Hay always requires an indefinite article.

En mi barrio hay una tienda – There is a shop in my neighbourhood

En Valencia hay un parque zoológico muy grande – There is a big zoo in Valencia

Don’t say: En Valencia hay el parque zoológico

Definite articles

subjects with definite articles

El libro es interesante – The book is interesting

La profesora habla rápido – The teacher speaks fast

In these examples el libro and la profesora play the role of subjects. A subject is the main producer of an action in a sentence. Most of the time, the producers of an action are specific, but even if they are not specific, definite articles are normally used, anyway.

It’s ok, if you say Un libro es interesante, but this will mean A book is interesting or One book is interesting. Without a relevant context this sentence might not be clear.

In Spanish subjects tend to require a definite article, whereas in English sometimes no article is used. This is where Spanish and English differ.

Los niños juegan al fútbol – Children play football

Los profesores no siempre tienen razón – Teachers aren’t always right

Me gusta el café – I like coffee

In these sentences we are not talking about the specific children, teachers and coffee. It’s just a pattern, that Spanish subjects follow.

If you say it without articles, like in English, it will sound as if something were missing.

Try it yourself:

The flower is beautiful

The child is sleeping in the room

People are very crazy

Electric cars cost a lot