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Definite and Indefinite Articles in Spanish (+ Free PDF)

Definite and indefinite Spanish articles. What are they? When are they used? That’s what we will learn today.

Let’s dive right in!

Table of Contents

  • Spanish Articles
    • Definite Articles
      • El
      • La
      • Los
      • Las
      • Special Rule
    • Indefinite Articles
      • Un
      • Una
      • Unos
      • Unas

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Spanish Articles

The Spanish language has definite and indefinite articles.

definite and indefinite articles spanish chart

La and las are definite articles. Let’s learn more about these words!

Definite Articles

In Spanish, there are four definite articles. They are el, la, los, las, and they are all equivalent to the English word “the”.

masculine feminine
singular el la
plural los las

El

Use el with masculine nouns that are singular.

• el carro (the car)

• el mapa (the map)

• el avión (the airplane)

La

Use la with feminine nouns that are singular.

• la silla (the chair)

• la flor (the flower)

• la mesa (the table)

Los

Use los with masculine nouns that are plural.

• los carros (the cars)

• los mapas (the maps)

• los aviones (the airplanes)

Las

Use las with feminine nouns that are plural.

• las sillas (the chairs)

• las flores (the flower)

• las mesas (the table)

Are there any exceptions to the rules above? Yes, there is one.

Learn how to identify masculine and feminine nouns in the post called Spanish Gender Rules: Masculine and Feminine Nouns.

Special Rule

There is one special rule to use the definite article el in Spanish.

This rule applies to some nouns that start with the vowel “a”. The rule goes like this:

If a feminine noun starts with the vowel “a”, and that vowel is stressed, use the definite article el instead of la.

Let me explain.

In Spanish, articles agree in gender and number with the nouns they modify.

Therefore, we use feminine nouns with feminine articles. We say, for example, “la niña (the girl).”

Some feminine nouns start with the vowel “a” in Spanish.  Some examples are agua (water), águila (eagle), aula (classroom), and ave (bird).

The strength of the voice in those words falls in the first “a” of each word.

Listen.

https://spanishwithtati.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/aula.mp3

When a feminine word starts with a stressed vowel “a”, use el instead of la.

• el agua (the water)

• el águila (the eagle)

• el aula (the classroom)

• el ave (the bird)

Though all of the nouns above are feminine, the article that accompanies them is masculine.

Oh! And this rule applies to the Spanish indefinite article un, too. Let’s learn more about these articles!

• un águila (an eagle)

• un ave (a bird)

Indefinite Articles

In Spanish, there are four indefinite articles. They are un, una, unos, unas.

Un and una are equivalent to the English words “a” and “an”. Unos and unas are equivalent to the word “some”.

masculine feminine
singular un una
plural unos unas

Un

Use un with masculine nouns that are singular.

• un carro (a car)

• un mapa (a map)

• un avión (an airplane)

Una

Use una with feminine nouns that are singular.

• una silla (a chair)

• una flor (a flower)

• una mesa (a table)

Unos

Use unos with masculine nouns that are plural.

• unos carros (some cars)

• unos mapas (some maps)

• unos aviones (some airplanes)

Unas

Use unas with feminine nouns that are plural.

• unas sillas (some chairs)

• unas flores (some flowers)

• unas mesas (some tables)

If in a conversation, you don’t want to mention the noun you are talking about, un becomes uno. Let me give you an example.

• ¿Quieres un burrito? (Do you want a burrito?)

• Sí, quiero uno. (Yes, I want one.)

Do you have any questions about Spanish definite or indefinite articles? Feel free to drop me a line.

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PreviousSpanish Gender Rules: Masculine and Feminine Nouns
NextIrregular Nouns in Spanish: +60 Irregular Gender Nouns

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