THE BEECHMONT CREST SPANISH STUDY GUIDE:
Spanish Definite Articles
We English speakers have to learn only one definite article: the. In Spanish, however, the definite article varies with number and gender. (There are a few exceptions, although these are few and far between.) Spanish definite articles are as follows:
Singular masculine: el
Singular feminine: la
Plural masculine: los
Plural feminine: las
Examples:
el toro = the bull
los toros = the bulls
la mujer = the woman
las mujeres = the women
Some Exceptions / Special Rules:
- The days of the week are always masculine: el martes, el miércoles, etc.
- Definite articles are used before abstract nouns (where they are generally not used in English):
Voy a estudiar la física. = I am going to study physics
la democracia y la libertad = democracy and liberty
- Definite articles are used before titles in Spanish:
El Presidente Bush nació el 6 de julio de 1946.
President Bush was born on July 6, 1946.
- The definite article el is used when the infinitive form of a verb is the subject of a sentence:
El decir la verdad sin cuidado puede causar daño.
Telling the truth without exercising caution can cause damage.