Definite and Indefinite Articles – A, An and The

Definite Article: The

Good news – you will not have to worry about gender or figuring out if something is singular or plural when you study articles in English! More good news - the definite article, the, is rather easy to understand and straightforward!

Articles are used before nouns. The definite article, the, is used before singular and plural nouns that are specific or particular.

She hugged the dog. (the dog belonging to her) = Abrazó el perro.

I painted the house blue. (the house I live in) = Pinté la casa de color azul.

The sky looks beautiful tonight. (the sky we are looking at) = Esta noche el cielo se ve hermoso.

**Advanced Tip**

The can be used with non-count nouns (nouns that do not have a plural form and refer to abstractions, substances or generalizations – water, money, health, etc.), or it can be omitted. Make sure to never use a non-count noun after a or an.

 I spilled the wine on the dress (some specific wine) or I spilled wine on the dress. = Se me derramó vino en el vestido.

Indefinite Articles: A and An

Indefinite articles are slightly more complicated, but you will soon understand the difference.

The indefinite article, a/an, is used to modify non-specific or non-particular nouns. A and an are used to signal that the noun they modify refers to any member of a group.

I would like a cookie. (any cookie, no cookie in particular) = Me gustaría una galleta.

We need a doctor! (any doctor will do, we don’t need a specific doctor) = ¡Necesitamos un médico!

Don’t forget that a and an are also used to indicate membership in a group.

I am a dentist. (a member of a large group, the group of all dentists) = Soy dentista.

So, when do you use a, and when do you use an? This is where it becomes more complicated, but only a little.

Use a with a singular noun beginning with a consonant:

a cat, a girl, a shoe =  un gato, una niña, un zapato

Use an with a singular noun beginning with a vowel:

an orange, an ostrich, an idiot = una naranja, un avestruz, un idiota

Use a with a singular noun beginning with a consonant sound:

a user (sounds like ‘yoo-zer’, it begins with a consonant ‘y’ sound), a European, a ukulele = un usuario, un europeo, un ukelele

Use a with nouns starting with a pronounced “h”:

a horse, a habit, a hamster = un caballo, un hábito, un hámster

[You may find that some people use an with words beginning with a pronounced “h” (an historical moment). This is also correct, but much less common in the United States.]

Use an with nouns beginning with a silent “h”:

an hour, an honor = una hora, un honor

If a noun is modified by an adjective, you will use a or an, depending on the initial sound of the adjective preceding the article, much like in the rules above.

a green bicycle = una bicicleta verde

an unsightly wound = una herida fea

 a united (sounds like ‘yoo-nite-ed’) country  = un país unido