ARTICLES

In this hand-out you will find:

• Classification of articles.
• Usage of definite articles before...
• Use of articles.
• Indefinite articles.
• The neuter lo.
• Contraction of definites articles.

• Articles are classified as definite and indefinite. They agree in number and gender and go before a noun.

• Definite articles specify the particularity of a noun.

• For example,
   
   

  el cuaderno	la silla
  los cuadernos	las vajillas

  
   

  * Exception to this rule are nouns beginning with stressed a or ha.
   
   

  el agua	because agua begins with stressed a
  el hacha	because hacha begins with stressed ha
  el águila	because águila begins with stressed a

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• Definite articles are used before:

          A) Days of the week
 
 

• B) Seasons
   
   

  la primavera	el verano
  el otoño	el invierno

  C) Expressions of time
   
   

  es la una	son las dos	son las tres
  son las cuatro	son las cinco	son las seis

  D) Some tittles
   
   

  el Señor Martínez	la Doctora Nicolasa
  la Señora Mujica	el Ingeniero Vásquez

  
   

  E) Nouns in general statements
   
   

  me gusta el helado	quiero el cuadro de Fernando Botero
  me agrada la música latina	Juan Carlos olvidó el traje

  
   

  F) Nouns of measurement or weight
   
   

  pagué $.40 la libra	el litro cuesta $1.500
  está a $20 la libra de naranjas	es a $100 la onza

  
   
   

  G) Certain geographical names
   
   

  el Brasil	las Islas Canarias
  la Habana	el Canadá

  
   
   

  H) Names of languages; except after the verb hablar, and the prepositions en, or de
   
   

  aprendo el español	me gusta el italiano
  el español es interesante de aprender	el francés es muy romántico

  BUT,
   
   

  hablo inglés	escribo en francés
  tengo un diccionario de portugués	leo, escribo, y hablo japonés

  
   
   

  I) Articles of clothing and part of the body
   
   

  me gustan las camisas de algodón

  mis manos son iguales a las de mi madre

  
   
   

  J) Name of avenues and streets
   
   

  la Quinta Avenida	la Séptima
  la Avenida Boyacá	la Caracas

  
   
   

  K) Certain expressions that in English are omitted
   
   

  la Universidad	el mes pasado
  la próxima semana	el año pasado

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• Articles are used with:

          A) Nouns listed in a series
 
 

          B) Infinitives used as nouns, particularly at the beginning of a sentence
 
 

          C) Intangible concepts (help you to identify them)
 
 

               D) Name of a subject
 
 

             E) A proper noun modified by an article
 
 

             F) A noun in opposition with a pronoun
 
 

• Articles are also used ...

          G) To identify something specific that precedes a demonstrative adjective
 
 

• Definite articles are not used ordinarily before a noun if the verb ser is used

- But if you ask for a date, it is correct to say,
 

Cuándo es el exámen?

El exámen es el lunes.

• Definite articles are omitted in front of the numerals of tittles

•  And lastly, articles are omitted before a noun in opposition

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• Indefinite articles on the other hand, announces that it belongs to a category and are as follows:

           For example,
 
 

• The indefinite article is omitted in front of:

•  It's also omitted before an unmodified predicate noun of rack, occupation, religion, nationality.

                         * Note that the verb in such cases is usually ser

          BUT,
 

• With an adjective, the indefinite article is used

        Note: Uno becomes un in front of a masculine singular noun Go back to top

• There is also lo, a neuter article

• The neuter lo is used in certain idiomatic expressions. For example,

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• Contraction of the definite article

        There is no contradiction if the article is part of a proper name,
 
 

• The form al + infinitive is used to mean on or upon, plus present participle,

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Created by Silvana Mendez
Foreign Language Lab / University of Houston