12 “The” and “a”: definite and indefinite articles
Words like in English THE and A are called articles. THE is called a definite article, and A is an indefinite article. THE is used to signal nouns that are supposed to be known by the hearer or are unique in the world. In Spanish, definite articles could be singular, plural (more than one), feminine and masculine.
Definite articles (the)
| Masculine | Feminine | |
| Singular (one) | el | la |
| Plural (more than one) | los | las |
Indefinite article (a, some)
| Masculine | Feminine | |
| Singular (one) | un | una |
| Plural (more than one) | unos | unas |
In Spanish, the indefinite articles in singular are exactly the same form as number one. For example, “one goat” and “a goat” are going to be “una chiva” in Spanish. In the plural they may be odd in English, and may be translated SOME.
Sample conversations
State someone else’s name
In groups of three, ask your names, then restate the name of your classmate.
A: ¿Cuál es tu nombre? (=Which is your name?)
B: Mi nombre es ____________. (=My name is _________ add your name).
C: ¿Cuál es ____ nombre de tu amigo (=male friend) OR amiga (=female friend)?
A: ____ nombre de mi amigo es ______________ (states name of B).
C: ¿Cuál es ____ nombre de tu amigo (=male friend) OR amiga (=female friend)?
B: ____ nombre de mi amigo es ______________ (states name of A).
C: ____ nombre de mi amigo es ______________ (states name of A).
compañero=classmate
State the names of the days:
A: ¿Qué haces los lunes? (=What do you do the Mondays, idiom. Every Monday)
B: Yo ____________ (add action in the YO-form) los lunes.
Repeat with: los martes (Tuesdays), los miércoles (Wednesdays), los jueves (Thursdays), los viernes (Fridays), los sábados (Saturdays) AND los domingos (Sundays).
Actions: trabajar (=to work), estudiar (=to study), tocar un instrument (=to play an instrument), hablar con mi familia (=to talk with my family), comer con mis amigos (=to eat with my friends), descansar (=to rest), hacer tareas (=to do home work) “Hago” (I do), leer (=to read), barrer (=to mop), montar bicicleta (=to ride a bike), patinar (=to skate)
Naming things you need for happiness:
A: ¿Qué necesitas para tu felicidad? (=What do you need for your happiness?)
B: Necesito un OR una ___________.
Items: computador (=computer) OR computadora (=female computer), mansión, carro lujoso (=luxury car), beca (=scholarship), novia OR novio (girlfriend OR boyfriend), apartamento, televisor, calculadora, nevera OR refrigerador (=fridge), lavadora (=washing machine), cama (=bed), cuenta bancaria (=banking account), persona amada (=beloved person), hombre (=man) OR mujer (=woman), licuadora (=blender machine), descanso (=rest), pisicina (=swimming pool), video juego (=video game)
