An easy guide to definite and indefinite articles in Spanish

In Spanish, articles are short words that aid in defining a noun. They define nouns in terms of number and gender and always come before them. Since “the,” “a,” and “an” are used as articles in English, if you know the language, you are already familiar with the articles.

The Spanish articles are identical, except they provide both the number and the noun’s gender. Because of this, there are nine articles in Spanish overall, compared to just three in English.

Understanding definite and indefinite articles in Spanish

In Spanish, when discussing a noun whose identity is known to the speaker or reader, definitive articles are used. In other words, use definite articles when referring to a specific noun instead of a broad one. In these cases, the definite article “the” is used in English.
In Spanish, the definite articles are:

• El
• La
•  Lo
• Los
• Las

You would ask for “the salt” to be passed to you at the dinner table, for instance. People will understand that you are talking about that particular salt container if a salt shaker is on the table. You could wish to ask the waiter for some salt if it’s missing from the table.

Since you are unsure of the noun’s identity in this instance, you cannot use a definite article. You know that salt is being consumed, but you are unsure of the specific type of salt.

The five definitive articles are shown below in Spanish, along with usage examples:

Type	Article	Example sentence	English
Masculine singular	el	¡Buena suerte en el examen!	Good luck with the test!
Feminine singular	la	La sandía es mi fruta favorita.	Watermelon is my favorite fruit.
Neutral singular	lo	Lo mejor de vivir en Medellín es la buena música.	The best part about living in Medellín is the great music.
Masculine plural	los	Los leones son mis animales favoritos.	Lions are my favorite animals.
Feminine plural	las	Las azaleas son mis flores favoritas.	Azaleas are my favorite flowers.

In Spanish, nouns whose identification is uncertain are defined by indefinite articles. Stated differently, you are unsure about the specific term or group you refer to. This is the same as “a” and “an” in English. In Spanish, the indefinite articles are:

• Un
• Una
•  Unos
• Unas

For instance, you would use an indefinite article to express your desire for a cup of coffee. In this instance, any cup of coffee will serve; you’re not desiring a particular kind. However, you might yearn for the coffee you drank at that small coffee shop the other day if you travel through Colombia’s coffee belt. You can’t use an indefinite article here as you’re talking about a specific coffee cup. Here are some more examples of when to utilize Spanish indefinite articles.

Type	Article	Example sentence	English
Masculine singular	un	Conocer Sudámerica siempre ha sido un sueño para mí.	Visiting South America has always been a dream of mine.
Feminine singular	una	Con este calor, ¡se me antoja mucho una cerveza helada!	This heat is making me crave a cold beer!
Masculine plural	unos	Compré unos vegetales en camino a casa.	I bought some vegetables on my way home.
Feminine plural	unas	Necesito unas calcetas nuevas.	I need some new socks.

Learning how to learn Spanish grammar is essential to gain fluency. Grammar helps you structure sentences correctly. You can seek guidance from books, online content including videos, YouTube channels, and language-learning websites to master Spanish grammar and its rules.

Table of definite and indefinite articles in Spanish

This table is for you if you already understand the Spanish content and just need a review! Here is a brief summary of all the articles in Spanish, complete with easy-to-follow examples.

		Definite		Indefinite
Singular	masculine	el	el tren	un	un animal
	feminine	la	la camiseta	una	una playa
	neutral	lo	lo malo	–
Plural	masculine	los	los árboles	unos	unos tacos
	feminine	las	las casas	unas	unas enchiladas

When to include articles in Spanish?

Understanding the Spanish articles is a fantastic place to start when learning to use them effectively. The actual difficulty, however, lies in understanding when to apply them. Here are several instances in which Spanish-language articles are required.

Personal identity

English	Spanish
You’re the best mom	Eres la mejor mamá
My dad is a great businessman	Mi papá es un gran empresario
She’s the most qualified teacher	Ella es la maestra mejor calificada

Things

English	Spanish
I need to buy a new bicycle	Necesito comprar una bicicleta
I don’t like coffee	No me gusta el café
The shoes over there are mine	Los zapatos de allá son míos

Transport

English	Spanish
I didn’t make it onto the train	No alcancé a llegar al tren
Let me know when you’re on the bus	Avísame cuando estés en el autobús
I already looked for it all over the car, but I can’t find it	Ya lo busqué por todo el carro, pero no lo encuentro.

Places

English	Spanish
Where is the library?	¿Dónde está la biblioteca?
The nearest bathrooms are there	Los baños más cercanos están ahí
I’m not at school	No estoy en la escuela

Date and time

English	Spanish
Dinner is at seven p.m.	La cena es a las siete de la noche
I get out of class at one p.m.	Salgo de clase a la una de la tarde
Are we seeing each other on Friday?	¿Nos vamos a ver el viernes?
I have dance class on Fridays	Los viernes tengo clases de baile

Reflexive verbs

English	Spanish
My head hurts	Me duele la cabeza
Did you hurt your arm?	¿Te lastimaste el brazo?
I’m craving an iced tea	Se me antoja un té helado
I like hot sauce	Me gusta la salsa

Emphasis

English	Spanish
I have a tremendous thirst.	Tengo una sed tremenda.
I am so sleepy that I couldn’t get rid of it if I slept all day long.	Tengo un sueño que ni con un día entero durmiendo se me quita.
I have a major stomach ache…	Tengo un dolor de estómago…

Learning basic Spanish words can help you expand your Spanish vocabulary list. Try making notes that include every new Spanish word that you learn. It will also help you develop the correct pronunciation. The best way to learn Spanish is to practice as much as possible. Expose yourself to Spanish media. Getting in touch with relevant examples will enable you to understand the application of different language concepts.

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Frequently asked questions

In Spanish, how do I know when to use an article that is definite or indefinite?

When the person listening understands precisely which noun you refer to, you employ a definite article. This may occur if the noun in issue is evident or you have already discussed it in detail. You use an indefinite article when you haven’t previously discussed a noun or don’t wish to discuss a particular object.

How can I tell if a Spanish word is el or la?

Because Spanish is a gendered language, every noun has a specific grammatical gender. El is the definite article for masculine nouns, and la is the definite article for feminine nouns. Not the person’s noun, but the gender of the noun to which they are referring must be agreed upon in these articles. Therefore, you must first determine the gender of the word in question to determine whether to use el or la in Spanish.

In Spanish, is it el agua or la agua?

In Spanish, feminine nouns that start with an ‘a’ and start with the stressed syllable use the masculine article el. Since agua meets both criteria, you should say el agua in Spanish even if agua is a feminine noun. Note that this doesn’t happen for all feminine nouns that start with an ‘a’. For example, you still say la abeja (the bee) in Spanish. That’s because abeja doesn’t start with a stressed syllable.

Conclusion

Definite and indefinite articles are essential to Spanish grammar, providing crucial information about nouns such as gender and number. Understanding their usage and differences is key to mastering the language.

While definite articles specify particular nouns (el, la, los, las), indefinite articles are more general (un, una, unos, unas). Practice and exposure to the language are key to using articles correctly and fluently in Spanish. Book lessons with italki to get the best Spanish tutor online and kick-start the journey of becoming a fluent Spanish speaker.