5 Artículos definidos e indefinidos

Definite and indefinite articles (gender & number)

In Spanish, all nouns have grammatical “gender.” Nouns may be “masculine” or “feminine,”but unless it is a living, breathing creature, grammatical gender is totally arbitrary. When we refer to “number,” we are talking about whether the noun is singular or plural.

Los artículos definidos:

Definite articles are used when you have a specific item in mind.

The English equivalent is “The.”

In Spanish, there is a “the” for each Gender/ Number combination:

• El – el profesor (masculine & singular)
• La – la profesora (feminine & singular)
• Los – los animales (masculine & plural)
• Las – las manzana (feminine & plural)

Los artículos indefinidos:

Indefinite articles are used when you do not have a specific item in mind.

The English equivalent is “a” for singular nouns and “some” for plural nouns.

In Spanish, there is an indefinite article or each gender/number combination.

• Un – un libro (masculine & singular)
• Una – una chica (feminine & singular)
• Unos – unos amigos (masculine & plural)
• Unas – unas galletas (feminine & plural)

Voy a la biblioteca porque quiero encontrar un buen libro.

I am going to the library because I want to find a good book.

Voy a la frutería porque necesito unas manzanas.

I am going to the fruit stand because I need some apples.

Los patrones. Patterns.

A language is a system of patterns, and once we recognize a pattern, we can use it to our advantage. Using patterns to help determine the gender of nouns is a good example of this.

Of course, there are always exceptions to the “rule,” so when you encounter a word that deviates from the pattern, spend extra time studying it.

Since we do not have gendered nouns in English, it is easy to underestimate the importance of this concept in Spanish. When learning new nouns, always practice them with their gender.

Watch the video for a more detailed grammar explanation.

“60-Second Spanish Grammar: Nouns – Basics via The LEAF Project” by LEAF Languages is licensed under CC BY 4.0.

All nouns in Spanish are either masculine or feminine and singular or plural in number. The gender of nouns can usually be determined by its ending, however, there are always exceptions to any rule that you will have to memorize. Some of the most common exceptions appear at the bottom of this page.

Describing People and Pets

Females

La señora, la mujer, la chica, la estudiante, la perra*, la gata*

*People who know that their pet is female will use the feminine form. If the sex of a pet or animal is unknown, the masculine form is typically used.

Males

El señor, el hombre, el chico, el estudiante, el perro, el gato

Transgender and non-binary individuals

For individuals who identify as male or female, always use the grammatical gender that corresponds to a person’s identity. To ask someone what their pronouns are, ask: “¿Cuál es su pronombre?” To respond, answer: “Mi pronombre es.” Fill in the blank with él (he), ella (she), or another pronoun such as elle (non-gendered, singular). With that said, non-binary pronouns such as elle are newly emergent and may not be widely used or understood.

Spanish, as a highly gendered language, has not yet adapted systematically to account for non-binary identities. There is a movement to use terms such as Latinx, although the “x” is not currently used in sentence structure and is not yet widely used outside of the United States. The use of –e endings instead of –o or –a endings on gendered nouns, articles, and adjectives has also emerged from Spanish-speaking communities. While there currently is not a unanimously accepted solution for how to approach gender agreement for non-binary individuals, language evolves alongside the communities that use it to express their life experiences, and this is an ongoing conversation. If you are non-binary, you may choose to initiate a conversation with your instructor to discuss ways that you can use the language to best describe yourself.

Nouns that end in “o”, “l”, “n” and “r” are typically masculine.

• el archivo (the archive)
• el mecánico (the mechanic)
• el pingüino (the penguin)
• el terreno (the terrain)
• el papel (the paper)
• el hotel (the hotel)
• el canal (the channel)
• el cañón (the canyon)
• el jabón (the soap)
• el televisor (the television set)

Nouns that end in “a”, “d”, “ión” are generally feminine.

• la quebradura (the fissure)
• la biología (the biology)
• la cueva (the cave, grotto)
• la cadena (the chain)
• la fresa (the strawberry)
• la radiación (the radiation)
• la operación (the operation)
• la profesión (the profession)
• la libertad (the liberty)
• la adaptabilidad (the adaptability)

Nouns that refer to males are masculine and nouns that refer to females are feminine.

Masculine

• el hombre (the man)
• el estudiante (the student – male)
• el ingeniero (the engineer – male)
• el padre (the father)
• el muchacho (the boy)

Feminine

• la mujer (the woman)
• la estudiante (the student – female)
• la ingeniera (the engineer – female)
• la madre (the mother)
• la muchacha (the girl)