2.2 Definite and Indefinite Articles

Definite and Indefinite Articles

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Definite Articles

In English, we only have one definite article: the

In Spanish, we have TWO singular definite articles: el and la.

El and la both mean "the."

El is masculine and La is feminine.

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Memorization!

While there are certain patterns we could follow
(such as most nouns ending in -o are masculine
or nouns ending in -ud are feminine),
it is impossible to memorize every pattern.

Therefore, the best way to know which definite article to use
is to memorize with the noun!

How do I know which one to use?

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Multiple Choice

How many definite articles do we have in English?

• 0

• 1

• 2

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What is the one definite article we have in English?

Multiple Choice

How many singular definite articles are there in Spanish?

• 0

• 1

• 2

Fill in the Blank

What is the masculine definite article in Spanish?

Fill in the Blank

What is the feminine definite article in Spanish?

Fill in the Blank

What do "el" and "la" mean?

Multiple Choice

How do I know if a noun is masculine or feminine?

• You need to memorize them with the noun.

• You just have to guess. They're all made up.

• It doesn't matter which one you use!

Indefinite Articles

In English, we have two singular indefinite articles:
a/an.

In Spanish, we also have two singular indefinite articles:

un and una

Both of these words mean a/an.

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How do I know which one to use?

Un is used with masculine nouns
Una is used with feminine nouns

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Multiple Choice

What are the two indefinite articles in English?

• a/an

• either/or

• this/that

Fill in the Blank

What is the singular feminine indefinite article in Spanish?

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What is the singular masculine indefinite article in Spanish?

How do I use them in a sentence?!

Step 1: Are you trying to say "the" or "a/an?"

If you want to say "the," you will use el/la.
If you want to say "a/an," you will use un/una.

Step 2: What is the grammatical gender? Masculine or feminine?

If masculine, use "el" for the or "un" for a/an
If feminine, use "la" for the or "una" for a/an

Yep!

So there are four different singular articles we can use in Spanish?

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Let's practice.

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Multiple Choice

I want to say "the dog." Dog is masculine. Which article do I use?

• el

• la

• un

• una

Multiple Choice

I want to say "a ca." Cat is masculine. Which article do I use?

• el

• la

• un

• una

Multiple Choice

I want to say "a computer." Computer is feminine. Which article do I use?

• el

• la

• un

• una

Multiple Choice

I want to say "the city." City is feminine. Which article do I use?

• el

• la

• un

• una

Multiple Choice

I want to say "the fruit." Fruit is feminine. Which article do I use?

• el

• la

• un

• una

Multiple Choice

I want to say "the water." Water is masculine. Which article do I use?

• el

• la

• un

• una

Multiple Choice

I want to say "a man." Man is masculine. Which article do I use?

• el

• la

• un

• una

Multiple Choice

I want to say "a woman." Woman is feminine. Which article do I use?

• el

• la

• un

• una

Remember:

el- the, masculine un- a/an, masculine

la- the, feminine una- a/an, feminine

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Multiple Choice

the pencil (masculine)

• el lápiz

• la lápiz

• un lápiz

• una lápiz

Multiple Choice

the window (feminine)

• el ventana

• la ventana

• un ventana

• una ventana

Multiple Choice

a door (feminine)

• el puerta

• la puerta

• un puerta

• una puerta

Multiple Choice

the folder (feminine)

• el carpeta

• la carpeta

• un carpeta

• una carpeta

Multiple Choice

an eraser (masculine)

• el borrador

• la borrador

• un borrador

• una borrador

Fill in the Blank

Write in Spanish: a backpack

Fill in the Blank

Write in Spanish: the gym

Fill in the Blank

Write in Spanish: a map

Fill in the Blank

Write the Spanish: the office