The Article as an Ending
There is no separate word for the. It is an ending: книга (a book) → книгата (the book); село (a village) → селото (the village).
How It Works
The ending depends on the noun.
- feminine: книга → книгата (-та)
- neuter: село → селото, море → морето (-то)
- masculine: стол → столът or стола (-ът and -а); ден → денят or деня (-ят and -я)
- plural: книги → книгите, села → селата (-те and -та)
Because the article is part of the word, you need to know the gender of the noun to choose it. The ending matters too: a masculine noun that ends in -а, like баща (father), takes -та: бащата. See noun gender.
When to use it. Use the article like English the, for something you and your listener both know about: Имам куче. Кучето е много мило. (I have a dog. The dog is very sweet.) A bare noun means a or an, or talks about something in general: Искам кафе. (I want a coffee.)
First word only. The article goes on the first word of the phrase. When an adjective comes first, the adjective takes the article and the noun stays bare: новата книга (the new book). See the article on the first word and articles on adjectives.
Two masculine forms. Masculine nouns have a full form, -ът, for the subject and for a definite complement after съм, and a short form, -а, for an object or after a preposition: Столът е нов. (The chair is new.) Седя на стола. (I am sitting on the chair.) See the full and short article.
Examples (6)
- Книгата е на масата.
The book is on the table.
Word by Word: Book-the is on table-the.
Both feminine nouns take -та.
- Селото е малко.
The village is small.
Word by Word: Village-the is small.
Село is neuter, so it takes -то.
- Имам куче. Кучето е много мило.
I have a dog. The dog is very sweet.
Word by Word: (I)-have dog. Dog-the is very sweet.
The first mention is bare; the second, now known, takes the article.
- Къде е ключът?
Where is the key?
Word by Word: Where is key-the?
A masculine subject takes the full article -ът.
- Новата книга е интересна.
The new book is interesting.
Word by Word: New-the book is interesting.
The adjective comes first, so it takes the article.
- Децата са в парка.
The children are in the park.
Word by Word: Children-the are in park-the.
Plural деца becomes децата. After a preposition, парк takes the short form парка.
Common Mistakes
Putting the article on the noun when an adjective comes first.
Нова книгата е интересна.Новата книга е интересна.Only the first word of the phrase takes the article. Here that word is the adjective.
Leaving out the article for a specific thing both people know.
Къде е ключ?Къде е ключът?You are asking about one known key, so it needs the article, like English the.
Choosing an ending that does not match the gender.
Селота е малко.Селото е малко.Село is neuter, so its article is -то. The ending -та is for feminine nouns.
How It Connects
Learn This First
The article as an ending builds on noun gender.
Related Patterns
- -таThe Feminine Article -та
The feminine article: книгата.
Level 1 - -тоThe Neuter Article -то
The neuter article: селото.
Level 1 - -ът/-аThe Masculine Articles -ът and -а
The masculine article: столът, стола.
Level 1 - -те/-таThe Plural Articles -те and -та
The plural article: книгите, селата.
Level 1 - The Article on the First Word
Why the article moves to an adjective: новата книга.
Level 2
Learn Next
Patterns that build on this one.
Words in This Pattern
Practice The Article as an Ending in Bubblegum
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