Beginner: Basic Spanish Grammar nº3 :The articles

1. Articulos/ Articles
R.Poncela
@nosolo_ele
www.nosoloele.wordpress.com

2. Articulos definidos / The definitive articles
 The word for ‘the’ depends on whether the noun it
goes with is masculine, feminine, singular or plural.
Masculino
Singular
Femenino
Singular
Masculino
Plural
Femenino
Plural
El La Los Las

3. Articulos definidos / The definitive articles
Masculino
Singular
Femenino
Singular
Masculino
Plural
Femenino
Plural
El La Los Las
El abuelo The grandfather
La fruta The fruit
Los billetes The tickets
Las palabras The words

4. Articulos definidos/ The definitive articles
 The definite article is sometimes used in
Spanish where we don’t use it in English:
1) It is used with languages (except with hablar and
estudiar)
- El inglés es interesante/ English is interesting
- Hablo/estudio francés / I speak/study french

5. Articulos definidos/ The definitive articles
2) It is used with days of the week to mean “on…
day/days”:
- Tengo que trabajar el sábado
- I have to work on Saturday.
- Juego al fútbol los jueves
- I play football on Thursdays

6. Articulos indefinidos/ The Indefinite article
 The word for ‘a’, ‘an’ and ‘some’ also depends on
whether the noun it goes with is masculine or
feminine, singular or plural.
Masculino
singular
Femenino
singular
Masculino
plural
Femenino
plural
Un Una Unos Unas

7. Articulos indefinidos/ The Indefinite article
Masculino
singular
Femenino
singular
Masculino
plural
Femenino
plural
Un Una Unos Unas
Un rio A river
Una moto A motorbike
Unos coches Some cars
Unas playas Some beaches

8. Articulos indefinidos/ The Indefinite article
 The indefinite article is sometimes not used in Spanish
where we do use it in English
1) It isn’t used when stating somebody’s nationality or job:
Es francés He’s a Frenchman
Es secretaria She’s a secretary

9. Articulos indefinidos/ The Indefinite article
2) It isn’t used after the verb tener in negative
sentences:
No tengo hermanos I haven’t got a brother

10. Articulos indefinidos/ The Indefinite article
3) When taliking about jobs, un and una are not used in
Spanish where ‘a’ or ‘an’ is used in English.
Mi padre es electricista My father’s an electrician
Mi madre es profesora My mother is a teacher