34. The
Articles vary in form for gender and number The following forms
are found:
DEFINITE ARTICLE
('the') |
| Singular |
Plural |
| Masc. el (padre) |
los (padres) |
| Fem. la (madre) |
las (madres) |
INDEFINITE ARTICLE
('a','an'; plural 'some', 'a few'). |
| Singular |
Plural |
| Masc. un(o) (padre) |
unos (libros) |
| Fem. una (madre) |
unas (casas) |
a. Before a feminine noun beginning with accented a
or ha, the masculine form el
is used not la:
| el auga, the water |
el hacha, the ax |
The change does not take place when an adjective intervenes:
la buena agua,
the good water |
b. With prepositions a ('to,' or sign
of the personal object, see 44), and de
('of,' 'from'), the following contractions take place:
| a + el = al |
Habla al padre. |
He speaks to father |
| de + el = del |
la casa del padre, |
the father's house |
c. The definite article has also a neuter singular
form lo, used with the masculine singular of
adjectives to form abstract noun phrases.
lo bueno y lo
malo, the good and the bad |
d. Unos, unas, may mean also 'a pair
(of).'
| unos zapatos, a pair of
shoes. |
| unas medias , a pair of
stockings. |
35. Use of Articles.
a. The definite article is used in spanish
(but not in English):
1. With general or abstract nouns.
| El hombre es mortal. |
Man is mortal. |
| Las madres aman a sus hijos. |
Mothers love their children. |
| La vanidad es mala. |
Vanity is bad. |
2. With titles of address in the third person.
| El señor Martínez habla. |
Mr. Martínez is speaking. |
| El señor profesor viaja ahora |
The professor is travelling now |
| But in direct address:Señor
Martínez, pase V. |
Mr. Martínez, come in |
3. With names of countries and provinces when modified by adjectives
or adjective phrases.
| la América del sur, South
America |
| la Francia moderna, modern
France |
| la bella California, California
(the) beautiful |
With names of some countries and cities the article is always
used:
| el Brasil |
el Perú |
el Ecuador |
la Habana |
4. With the names of the days of the week, of the seasons and
other expressions of time (never with the months of the year).
| Carlos come aquí los lunes.
Charles eats here Mondays. |
| El verano es largo. Summer
is long. |
| la semana pasada. last week. |
| el mes próximo, next
month |
b. The indefinite article is ommited in Spanish (but
not in English) with unmodified nouns used predicatively:
| Es maestro |
He is a teacher |
| Es médico |
He is a doctor |
| But: Es un médico muy bueno |
He is a very good doctor |
c. The articles are repeated in Spanish before the different
nouns they modify:
| el padre y la madre, the
father and mother |
| los libros y las plumas,
the books and pens |
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