Definite articles signal that a noun refers to something specific and known to the listener or reader.
English
English has one definite article: the, which is used for singular and plural nouns, and for nouns of any gender.
Spanish
Spanish has four definite articles that agree in gender and number with the noun: el, la, los, and las.
| English Word(s) | Spanish Word(s) | |
|---|---|---|
| the (masculine singular) | el | |
| the (feminine singular) | la | |
| the (masculine plural) | los | |
| the (feminine plural) | las |
Usage
Use the definite article when referring to something specific, when talking about things in general, when mentioning something already introduced, and with days, parts of the body, and titles in Spanish.
Examples
Summary
The definite article marks a specific noun; English uses the for all cases, while Spanish chooses el, la, los, or las to match gender and number.
Last updated: Fri Oct 24, 2025