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

Multiple Choice

How many singular definite articles are there in Spanish?

• 0

• 1

• 2

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

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

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