4.2 Principal differences between the use of the definite
article in Spanish and English
The Spanish definite article is used:(a) With abstract nouns:
¿Qué es la verdad? What is truth?
(b) With plural nouns used generically:
Las ovejas son animales mansos.
Sheep are gentle creatures.
(c) With singular nouns which denote a substance (‘mass’ nouns):
El vino es caro.
Wine is expensive.
Me sienta mal el café.
Coffee doesn’t agree with me.
Contrast:
Tenemos vino. We have (some) wine.
With these may be included names of colours (which have no article after a
preposition):
El negro es un color de mala suerte.
Black is an unlucky colour.
but:
una película en blanco y negro
a black and white film
(d) With titles and similar expressions:
El señor Sánchez no está. Sr. Sánchez isn’t in.
el Rey Alfonso X King Alfonso X
en el capítulo once in chapter eleven
en la página 23 on page 23
(e) With days of the week and seasons:
Llegó el martes pasado.
He/she arrived last Tuesday.
La primavera es la estación más hermosa del año.
Spring is the most beautiful season of the year.
(f) With names of countries which are qualified, or which are masculine:There is a strong tendency today not to use the definite article with names of countries
unless the country is qualified with an adjectival phrase. But formerly names of
countries which were masculine took the definite article, and there is accordingly some
variation in usage in this area. An exception to this general trend is la India‘India’.THE ARTICLES 4.2