Definite and indefinite articles in Spanish

In this new course, we are going to see the definite and indefinite articles in Spanish; it is very important to determine always the noun, whether with an adjective possessive (my, your, his/her), with a definite article (the), with an indefinite article (a/an) or with some other word with somehow the same use; determine the noun. In this course, we are going to introduce the definite and indefinite article in Spanish and  their gender and number (plural or singular). We have found many students that they normally do not have a use of them, and, this is a very big mistake especially in these first stages of our learning because if we do not start using them now, to introduce them in the future in our speaking, writing or oral abilities, it is gonna be a very hard work. Nouns, as we said, need to be most of the time determined, in order to give a closer and better idea of what we are trying to express.

It is the same  expression to say: a table, or, the table? The meaning is very different, isn’t?

When we are talking about a table, can it be any… and when we are talking about the table, it is very specific to the table that we are talking about.

In the  future, we will see that there are times where actually, there is no need to determine the noun because this is uncountable and we can get rid off it, but, we are still far from that point; so, our very own recommendation is that we start using always, without exemption, those articles, or, any other word that has the function of determining the noun

Definite articles in spanish

First of all, we are going to see the definite articles in Spanish. Unlike English, the article -The- in Spanish, has gender (masculine or feminine) and number (singular or plural). It will be the noun that we are using, who will tell us what article we need to use in every case. When the noun is masculine and singular, the article will be masculine and singular as well; When the noun is feminine and plural, the article will be feminine and plural as well; and so on. So, it is very important to always check the noun, and identify its gender and number, because the words that will come linked to it, will have the same form in its gender and number. Definite articles in Spanish, determine the noun and give a specific idea to it. Whenever we are using them, we will specifically know the noun that we are referring to.

Indefinite articles in spanish

On the other hand, the indefinite articles in Spanish, determine the noun as well, but they give a non-specific idea of the noun; in other words, when we are using indefinite articles in Spanish, we will not talk specifically about a certain noun; a table? it can be any table, isn’t? Here it is then. As well as the previous definite articles, these non-specific articles, have gender (masculine or feminine) and number (singular or plural); The noun, will tell us what form in its gender and number it has.

Remember that it is basic in our new language to start using definite and indefinite articles in Spanish, because the sooner we get them as a habit, the better will be our communication.

However, it is a very annoying and somehow curious part of our language, as the gender or the number of the word it is.

We hope that those lessons will help you out in getting the habit of using them and that you understand our explanation as clear as we thought that they would be.