The Second Form of the Article
After a word ending in -r or -s, the article is often pronounced lo, la, los, las: facer a cama sounds like face-la cama. You must write it in polo, pola and u-lo, u-la.
How It Works
Always written
- por + article: polo, pola, polos, polas: Paseamos polo parque.
- The adverb u (where): u-lo, u-la: U-la chave? (where is the key?).
May be written
- After todos, ambos, tras and e mais: tódolos días, ámbalas dúas, tralos montes, o pai e maila nai.
- After verb forms in -r or -s and after nos, vos, lles, joined with a hyphen: Imos face-la cea, collémo-lo saco.
In each case the full article is also correct and is the preferred choice in everyday writing: todos os días, imos facer a cea. See accepted variant forms. Whichever form you write, the recommended pronunciation uses the second form: vender a casa sounds like vende-la casa.
Spelling. The article joins with a hyphen, and the verb and article are accented as if they were one word: cóme-lo caldo (from comes o caldo) but come-lo caldo (from comer o caldo), and collémo-lo saco (from collemos o saco). Do not confuse this with the pronoun lo, la, which is written as one word: facela (to do it).
Examples (6)
- Paseamos polo parque.
We walk through the park.
Por + o is always written polo.
- U-la chave?
Where is the key?
After u the second form is always written, with a hyphen.
- Tódolos días camiño ao traballo.
Every day I walk to work.
Tódolos is accepted; todos os días is the preferred form.
- Viñeron ámbalas dúas irmás.
Both sisters came.
- Imos face-la cea.
We are going to make dinner.
In ordinary writing, Imos facer a cea is preferred.
- Viñeron o pai e maila nai.
The father and the mother came.
Common Mistakes
Writing por with the full article.
Paseamos por o parque.Paseamos polo parque.Por and the article always combine as polo, pola, polos, polas.
Writing the article joined to the verb without a hyphen.
Imos facela cea.Imos face-la cea.Facela is the verb with the pronoun la (to do it). The article form is joined with a hyphen, or you can write the full form: Imos facer a cea.
Leaving the accent off tódolos.
Todolos días camiño ao traballo.Tódolos días camiño ao traballo.The standard spelling is tódolos, with an accent. You can also write todos os.
How It Connects
Learn This First
The second article forms reflect particular sound and spelling environments and have limited required uses.
Related Patterns
- u-lo / u-laWhere Is It? U-lo and U-la
The other case where the second form is required.
Level 6 - lo, la After -r and -sPronoun Forms Lo and La After -r and -s
The same sound change with object pronouns, written as one word.
Level 2 - e maisAnd Also: E Mais
Explains e maila and e mailo.
Level 4 - os dous / ambosBoth: Os Dous and Ambos
Explains ambos, which can take the second form: ámbolos dous.
Level 4 - Accepted Variant Forms
Lists accepted pairs such as todos os and tódolos, with the preferred form.
Level 6
Words in This Pattern
Practice The Second Form of the Article in Bubblegum
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