Definite articles mark a noun as specific and identifiable to the listener or reader. Use them when both people can figure out which person, thing, or group is meant, even if it is not named directly. In English, the definite article is the.

Use the before a noun when there is one particular referent in the context: the one you mean. This can be because it was mentioned earlier, is unique in the situation, or is made specific by additional information. The signals shared understanding: you know which one.

Rule	🇨🇳 中文 规则	Example	🇨🇳 中文 示例
Use the for a specific item already mentioned	🔎 在已提及的具体物品前使用 the	I saw a dog. The dog followed me.	🧩 我看到一只狗。那只狗跟着我。
Use the when the situation makes it clear which one	📍 当情境使其清楚地指明是哪一个时，使用 the	Close the door.	🧩 关上门。
Use the when extra information identifies it	🧾 当额外信息将其识别时，使用 the	The book on the table is mine.	🧩 桌子上的那本书是我的。
Use the with superlatives and ranking words	🏷️ 在最高级和排名词前使用 the	She is the best player.	🧩 她是最好的球员。

A common pattern is a or an for the first mention and the for the second mention. The first mention introduces something not yet identified, and the second mention refers back to that same thing. This helps listeners track which noun you mean over time.

Use the with things that are unique or treated as unique in a community or context. This includes one-of-a-kind objects, widely known institutions, and items assumed to exist for everyone in the setting. Even if you mention them for the first time, they can be definite because they are already identifiable.

Rule	🇨🇳 中文 规则	Example	🇨🇳 中文 示例
Use the for globally unique things	🌍 在全球唯一的事物前使用 the	the sun, the moon	🧩 太阳、月亮
Use the for well known institutions in context	🏛️ 在语境中对众所周知的机构使用 the	the government raised taxes	🧩 政府提高了税收
Use the for shared local reference	🗺️ 在共享的本地参照中使用 the	Meet me at the station.	🧩 在车站见面。

The can refer to a whole group as a category when the group is understood as a class. This is common with nationalities, inventions, and types of people or animals. It sounds more formal than using a plural noun with no article.

Rule	🇨🇳 中文 规则	Example	🇨🇳 中文 示例
Use the plus adjective for some nationality groups	👥 在某些国籍群体前使用 the 加形容词	the French, the Spanish	🧩 法国人、西班牙人
Use the to talk about a species as a class	🐾 将 the 用于将一种物种作为一个类别来谈论	The tiger is endangered.	🧩 老虎濒临灭绝。
Use the for an invention as a class	💡 将 the 用于将发明视为一个类别	The internet changed communication.	🧩 互联网改变了沟通。

Many proper names do not take the, but some do. Use the when the name includes a common noun that describes a type of place or organization, or when the name is plural or refers to a collection. Names vary, so the is part of the fixed name in many cases.

Rule	🇨🇳 中文 规则	Example	🇨🇳 中文 示例
Use the in fixed names of many buildings and institutions	🏢 在许多建筑物和机构的固定名称中使用 the	the White House, the British Museum	🧩 白宫、大英博物馆
Use the with groups of islands and mountain ranges	🏞️ 在岛群和山脉名称中使用 the	the Philippines, the Alps	🧩 菲律宾、阿尔卑斯山
Use the with rivers, seas, and oceans	🌊 在河流、海洋、海域名称前使用 the	the Nile, the Pacific	🧩 尼罗河、太平洋
Use the with some newspapers and organizations	📰 在某些报纸和组织名称前使用 the	the New York Times, the UN	🧩 纽约时报、联合国

Geographic names follow common article patterns. Single mountains, most cities, and most countries usually do not take the, while oceans, rivers, and plural or descriptive place names often do. Learning these patterns helps you sound natural, but always treat official names as fixed.

Word/Phrase	🇨🇳 中文 词/短语	Definition	🇨🇳 中文 定义	Example	🇨🇳 中文 示例
No the for most cities	🗽 大多数城市通常不带 the	City names are typically used without the	📌 城市名称通常不带冠词 the	I live in London.	🧩 我住在伦敦。
No the for single mountains	🏔️ 单一山峰通常不带 the	Single mountain names usually take no article	📌 单一山峰名称通常不带冠词	Mount Everest is high.	🧩 珠穆朗玛峰很高。
The for descriptive country names	🌎 在描述性国家名称前使用 The	Names with republic, kingdom, states often take the	📌 名称中包含 republic、kingdom、states 时通常带 the	the United States, the Czech Republic	🧩 美国合众国、捷克共和国
The for deserts and regions with of	🏜️ 对沙漠和带有 of 的地区名称使用 the	Many deserts and of phrases take the	📌 许多 deserts 与 of 短语带有 the	the Sahara, the Middle East, the Gulf of Mexico	🧩 撒哈拉、中东、墨西哥湾

The can be used even when something has not been mentioned if it is logically inferable from what was mentioned. If you talk about a car, you can later talk about the engine because most cars have one. This use relies on common knowledge and relationships between things.

Rule	🇨🇳 中文 规则	Example	🇨🇳 中文 示例
Use the for something implied by another noun	🧠 对由另一个名词隐含的某物使用 the	I got in a taxi. The driver was friendly.	🧩 我上了出租车。司机很友好。
Use the for parts of a known whole	🔗 对已知整体的部分使用 the	The roof is leaking.	🧩 屋顶在漏水。

Sometimes English does not use the even when speaking generally. Plural and uncountable nouns often take no article for general meaning, and many fixed expressions drop the article. Knowing when not to use the helps avoid sounding overly specific.

Rule	🇨🇳 中文 规则	Example	🇨🇳 中文 示例
No article for general plural meaning	🧺 针对一般复数含义不使用冠词	Dogs make great pets.	🧩 狗是很棒的宠物。
No article for general uncountable meaning	💧 针对一般不可数含义不使用冠词	Water is essential.	🧩 水是必需的。
No article in some common places and routines	🗣️ 在一些常见地点和日常例程中不使用冠词	go to school, at work, in bed	🧩 去学校，在工作时，在床上
No article with by plus transport	🚗 搭乘交通工具时不使用冠词	travel by car, go by bus	🧩 通过汽车出行，乘公交车

Using the can change meaning by making a noun specific instead of general. Compare general statements with specific ones to choose correctly. This contrast is especially important with plural and uncountable nouns, where the often signals a particular set or amount.

Word/Phrase	🇨🇳 中文 词/短语	Definition	🇨🇳 中文 定义	Example	🇨🇳 中文 示例
the students	🧩 这些学生	A specific group of students	👥 一群特定的学生	The students in my class are friendly.	🧩 我班上的学生很友好。
students	🧩 学生	Students in general	👥 学生一般而言	Students need time to rest.	🧩 学生需要休息时间。
the coffee	🧩 这杯咖啡	A specific coffee or batch	☕ 一杯特定的咖啡或批次	The coffee on the table is cold.	🧩 桌上的咖啡是凉的。
coffee	🧩 咖啡	Coffee in general	☕ 一般来说，咖啡	Coffee helps me wake up.	🧩 咖啡有助于我清醒。