Spanish: An Essential Grammar

Articles in Spanish may be categorized as definite, indefinite and neuter.

Definite articles are used before nouns to designate what is already known

or specific, corresponding to English ‘the’. The indefinite forms are used

when the noun does not refer to a specific person, place or thing: English

‘a’ and ‘an’ in the singular, and ‘some’ in the plural.

Forms of the articles

The definite and indefinite articles vary in form to indicate gender and

number. The forms are as follows:

Masculine Feminine

Singular Plural Singular Plural

Definite article el los la las

Indefinite article un unos una unas

The neuter article is lo.

El used with a and de

When preceded by aor de, the eof the masculine singular form elis usually

dropped, so that a+ el > aland de+ el> del:

al banco to the bank del puerto from the port

3.1.1

3.1

1111

2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9

1011

1

12111

3 4 5 6 7 8 9

20111

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9

30111

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9

40

41111 27

Chapter 3 Definite and indefinite articles