Definite Articles

Used to:

  1. Refer to people/objects

  2. Refer to titles/family names

  3. Accompany certain verbs

  4. Express time/date/days of the week

  5. Refer to languages/academic subjects

  6. Identify some nouns (body parts, clothing, personal belongings)

  7. Used with some proper nouns (streets/buildings; etc.)

  1. Refer to People/Objects

  • Unique/specific person/object

    • Santiago es la capital de Chile.

      Santiago is the capital of Chile.

      (talking about the specific capital of Chile)

  • Refer to something already mentioned

    • Tengo un perro. El perro se llama Capitán.

      I have a dog. The dog’s name is Capitán.

      (noun introduced in previous sentence)

  • Generalizations

    • Me encanta el café.

      I love coffee.

    • Los niños son el futuro.

    • Children are the future.

      (focus on big groups/concepts)

  1. Refer to titles/family names

  • Introduce people’s last names/titles (not usually used to introduce 1st names)

    • La profesora Jiménez dará la conferencia.

      Professor Jiménez will hold the conference.

    • El señor López llamó esta mañana.

      Mr. López called this morning.

**For last names referring to members of a family, use the plural article with the singular last name:

*Los López no vienen a la fiesta.

The Lopezes are not coming to the party.

**If a last name refers to a person with qualities of the person with the specific last name (usually a famous person) the last name and article can be singular or plural (depending on who is being talked about):

*Ese chico es el Einstein de la clase.

That boy is the Einstein of the class.

*En esta clase están los Einsteins del mañana.

The Einsteins of tomorrow are in this class.

  1. Accompany certain verbs

  • Infinitives that are used as nouns can be introduced with a definite article (OPTIONAL)

    • (El) Caminar es muy relajante.

      Walking is very relaxing.

  1. Express time/date/days of the week

    • Son las cinco de la tarde.

      It’s five in the afternoon.

    • Mi examen es el 10 de septiembre.

      My exam is on September 10th.

    • El lunes tengo clase a las tres de la mañana.

      On Monday I have class at three in the afternoon.

    • El viernes es mi día favorito.

      Friday is my favorite day.

**Do NOT use an article for the date when using “hoy,” “ayer,” or “mañana:”

*Hoy es 8 de agosto.

Today is August 8th.

**When talking about habitual/recurring days, use a plural article:

* Los lunes tengo clase a las tres de la tarde.

On Monday I have class at three in the afternoon.

  1. Refer to languages/academic subjects

    • El español es un idioma muy interesante.

      Spanish is a very interesting language.

**Do NOT use an article when using verbs “hablar,” “saber,” “enseñar,” or “estudiar:”

*¿Usted habla japonés?

Do you speak Japanese?

*Ella enseña ciencia en la escuela.

She teaches science in the school.

  1. Identify some nouns (body parts, clothing, personal belongings)

    • Me duela la cabeza.

      My head hurts.

    • Se puso la camiseta.

      He put on his T-shirt.

  1. Used with some proper nouns (streets/buildings; etc.)

  • When a street, square, avenue, cinema, hotel, museum, etc. is followed by its name, an article is used

    • Visitamos el centro comercial Galerías en la calle San Martín.

      We visited the Galerías mall on San Martín street.

BONUS: “LO”

  1. Used with an adjective in a way to mean “the thing”

  • Lo difícil de los idiomas es la pronunciación.

    The hard thing about languages is pronunciation.

  1. Relative pronouns “que (“that”)” and “cual (“which”)” are used with lo to refer to abstract/unspecified concepts

  • Lo que debemos hacer es estudiar toda la noche.

    What we should do is study all night.

  • Tenemos mucha comida, lo cual es muy bueno.

    We have a lot of food, which is very good.