el/la/los/las
Definite Articles
The Spanish equivalent of 'the'. They change to match the gender (masculine/feminine) and number (singular/plural) of the noun they describe.
How It Works
In Spanish, you can't just say 'book'; you have to say 'the book' (el libro) or 'a book' (un libro). The words el, la, los, and las are called definite articles, and they all mean 'the'. They are used to talk about specific, identifiable nouns.
The key difference from English is that the Spanish article must 'agree' with the noun it describes in two ways:
1. Gender (Masculine or Feminine)
2. Number (Singular or Plural)
This means there are four forms you need to know:
- el: for singular, masculine nouns (e.g., el chico - the boy)
- la: for singular, feminine nouns (e.g., la chica - the girl)
- los: for plural, masculine nouns (e.g., los chicos - the boys)
- las: for plural, feminine nouns (e.g., las chicas - the girls)
Choosing the correct article is essential for speaking and writing Spanish correctly. To do this, you need to know the gender of the noun and whether it's singular or plural.
For more details on how to determine a noun's gender and how to make it plural, see these patterns:
Examples (5)
- el libro
the book
'Libro' is a singular, masculine noun, so it uses 'el'.
- la mesa
the table
'Mesa' is a singular, feminine noun, so it uses 'la'.
- los libros
the books
'Libros' is a plural, masculine noun, so it uses 'los'.
- las mesas
the tables
'Mesas' is a plural, feminine noun, so it uses 'las'.
- El perro come.
The dog eats.
Word by Word: The dog eats.
Common Mistakes
Using the wrong gender for the article.
La libro está aquí.El libro está aquí.Nouns in Spanish have a gender. 'Libro' (book) is a masculine noun, so it requires the masculine article 'el', not the feminine 'la'.
Using a singular article with a plural noun.
Me gustan el carros rojos.Me gustan los carros rojos.The article must also match the noun in number. Since 'carros' (cars) is plural, it needs the plural article 'los', not the singular 'el'.
How It Connects
Related Patterns
- un/una/unos/unasIndefinite Articles
These are the indefinite articles ('a', 'an', 'some'), used for non-specific nouns. They are the direct counterpart to definite articles, which are used for specific nouns.
Foundations - -o/-aNoun Gender Markers
This pattern explains how to determine if a noun is masculine or feminine, which is essential for choosing the correct definite article ('el' vs. 'la').
Foundations - -s/-esPlural Formation
This pattern explains how to make nouns plural. You need this to choose between singular articles ('el', 'la') and plural articles ('los', 'las').
Foundations - Adjective Agreement
Just like definite articles, adjectives must also agree in gender and number with the noun they describe. This concept builds on the same fundamental principle of agreement.
Foundations
Learn Next
Patterns that build on this one.
Words in This Pattern
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