3 Articles
The indefinite article is a/an; the definite article is the.
The choice of a or an depends on the sound (not the letter) at the beginning of the noun: if the sound is a consonant, then a; if the sound is a vowel, then an, e.g.:
 | a: a girl; a tall girl; a table; a long table; a European organisation; a university; a yacht |
| an: an apple; an egg; an honest person; an hour; an honour; an Indian; an icecream; an umbrella; an open university |
In general we use the articles in English in similar ways to their use in Spanish. However, in English:
- We use the indefinite article with professions, e.g.:
| Mary is a dentist.
(Mary es dentista.) |
- We do not use the definite article with names, e.g.:
| |
Example |
Spanish |
| Names |
Maria is a dentist. |
Mary es dentista. |
| Personal pronouns |
This is mine and that is yours. |
Este es el mío y aquel es el tuyo. |
| Percentages |
The new measure affects 30% of the population. |
La nueva medida afecta al 30% de la población. |
| Things in general |
Food is more important than freedom. |
La comida es más importante que la libertad. |
|
Indian food is more spicy than Chinese food. |
La comida india es más picante que la comida china. |
|
| A: Do you like dogs?
B: I like big dogs but not small ones. |
A: ¿Te gustan los perros?
B: Me gustan los perros grandes pero los pequeños no. |
Notice that one is not an article, so:
| Tenemos un piso pequeño. |
is in English:
| We have a small flat.
(Not: We have one small flat).
|
There are expressions that have different presuppositions with and without the, e.g.:
| My daughter studies at university, but my son still goes to school.
(Mi hija estudia en la universidad, pero mi hijo aún va a la escuela.) |
| There was a bomb scare at the university.
(Hubo una amenaza de bomba en la universidad.) |
| Firefighters went to the school to check the safety measures.
(Los bomberos fueron a la escuela para comprobar las medidas de seguridad.) |
| |
Presupposition |
|
at/to school |
Subject is a pupil |
|
at/to university |
Subject is a student |
|
at/to church |
Subject is attending service |
|
in/into hospital |
Subject is a patient |
|
in/into prison |
Subject is a prisoner |
Notice these other expressions that do not have the:
| John's ill so he's stayed at home.
(John estaba enfermo y por lo tanto se ha quedado en casa.) |
| Mary went home early.
(Mary ha ido a casa antes.) |
| I'm going to go to bed.
(Me voy a la cama.) |
| Are the children still in bed?
(¿Los niños aún están en la cama?) |
| My mother goes to work by tube.
(Mi madre va al trabajo en metro.) |
| Jim isn't at work today.
(Jim no está hoy en el trabajo.) |
| Her husband spends most of the time at sea.
(Su marido pasa la mayoría del tiempo en el mar.) |
 |
