Definite articles: el, la, los, las

A1

Grammar path · Lesson 3 of 86 · Stage A1 · Nouns and articles

Definite articles are the Spanish equivalent of 'the', used when the listener knows which person or thing you mean. The article must match the noun in gender and number: el for masculine singular, la for feminine singular, los for masculine plural and las for feminine plural. So you say el libro, la mesa, los libros, las mesas. Unlike English, Spanish also uses the article for general statements: Me gusta el café. Learners often mix it up with un, una: un libro is any book, while el libro is the specific book both speakers know.

Practise this lesson · 10 sentences

Form

Masculine singularel + sustantivo masculino singular
El chico estudia mucho.The boy studies a lot.
Feminine singularla + sustantivo femenino singular
La casa es grande.The house is big.
Masculine plurallos + sustantivo masculino plural
Los niños juegan en el parque.The children play in the park.
Feminine plurallas + sustantivo femenino plural
Las flores son bonitas.The flowers are pretty.

When to use it

A specific, known person or thing

Use it when both speakers know exactly which one is meant. It is usually something already mentioned or obvious from the situation.

El libro está en la mesa.The book is on the table.
¿Dónde están las llaves?Where are the keys?

Talking about something in general

For likes and general truths Spanish keeps the definite article, where English and Vietnamese usually drop it.

Me gusta el café.I like coffee.
Los perros son muy leales.Dogs are very loyal.

Days of the week and telling time

Use el or los before days of the week to mean 'on ...', and las (or la for one o'clock) when telling the time.

El sábado vamos a la playa.On Saturday we're going to the beach.
Son las tres de la tarde.It's three in the afternoon.

The four forms of the definite article

masculine singularel libro
feminine singularla casa
masculine plurallos libros
feminine plurallas casas
a / de + elal cine · del cine

Don't confuse it with

Indefinite articles: un, una, unos, unas

Choose el, la, los, las when the listener knows which one you mean or when speaking about a category in general; choose un, una to introduce something new or unspecified. Example: Tengo un perro, but then El perro se llama Max.

Frequently asked questions

When do I use el and when do I use la?

Use el with masculine singular nouns and la with feminine singular nouns. Nouns ending in -o are usually masculine and in -a usually feminine, but there are exceptions like el problema and la mano.

Why is it el agua if agua is feminine?

Feminine singular nouns starting with a stressed a- or ha- sound take el to make pronunciation easier. The noun stays feminine: el agua fría, las aguas.

What are al and del?

They are compulsory contractions: a + el becomes al and de + el becomes del. For example: Voy al cine, Vengo del trabajo. La, los and las never contract.

Why does Spanish say Me gusta el café with an article?

When talking about something in general, Spanish needs the definite article. Dropping el makes the sentence sound wrong.

Do I use an article before days of the week?

Yes, el lunes means on Monday, and los lunes means every Monday. Do not put en before the day.

More in Nouns and articles

Noun gender: masculine and feminineA1Plural nounsA1Indefinite articles: un, una, unos, unasA1
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