- A1 Essential: Learn the 8 Spanish (el, la, los, las, un, una, unos, unas)
- Understand the difference between (the) and (a/an) articles
- Master gender agreement - matching articles to masculine/feminine nouns
- Apply number agreement - using singular/plural articles correctly
- Recognise when to use definite vs indefinite in everyday situations
- Practise with common A1 vocabulary (casa, libro, mesa, perro)
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Articles: el, la, los, las, un, una
What You'll Learn
Overview / Usage
Spanish Articles Made Crystal Clear
Learn the complete system: (the) and (a/an/some) !
The Complete Article System
Definite (THE)
el (masc. sing.)
la (fem. sing.)
los (masc. plur.)
las (fem. plur.)
Indefinite (A/AN/SOME)
un (masc. sing.)
una (fem. sing.)
unos (masc. plur.)
unas (fem. plur.)
When to Use Each Type
Definite: Specific items you know about
Indefinite: Any item, not specific
Structure & Formation
📋 Definite Articles (THE)
Use definite articles when talking about specific things that you and the listener both know about!
👨
Masculine
elperro
losperros
The dog / The dogs (specific ones)
👩
Feminine
lamesa
lasmesas
The table / The tables (specific ones)
When to Use Definite Articles (A1)
🎯 Specific items
The book on the table
"el libro" = the specific book
📍 Things we both know
Where is the teacher?
"¿Dónde está el profesor?"
🎁 Indefinite Articles (A/AN/SOME)
Use indefinite articles when talking about any item, not a specific one!
👨
Masculine
unlibro
unoslibros
A book / Some books (any books)
👩
Feminine
unasilla
unassillas
A chair / Some chairs (any chairs)
When to Use Indefinite Articles
🎲 Any item
I need a pen (any pen)
🆕 First mention
I saw a dog (introducing)
📊 Quantities
Some students arrived
Examples
🗣️ Real Conversation Examples
At the Café
"Quiero un café"
(I want a coffee - any coffee)
"¿Dónde está el café?"
(Where is the coffee - the specific one I ordered)
Shopping Trip
"Necesito una camisa"
(I need a shirt - any shirt)
"Me gusta la camisa azul"
(I like the blue shirt - specific shirt we're looking at)
Quick Reference Chart
Masculine Singular
el / un
Feminine Singular
la / una
Masculine Plural
los / unos
Feminine Plural
las / unas
Gotchas / Common Mistakes
⚠️ Common Mistakes
❌ Wrong gender agreement
❌ Wrong: la libro
✅ Right: el libro(the book)
Articles must match noun gender! Libro is masculine.
❌ Missing plural agreement
❌ Wrong: la casas
✅ Right: las casas(the houses)
Plural nouns need plural articles!
❌ Confusing specific vs general
❌ Wrong: Quiero el café
✅ Right: Quiero un café(I want a coffee)
Use 'un/una' when ordering something new, 'el/la' for something specific!
❌ Forgetting articles exist
❌ Wrong: Tengo libro
✅ Right: Tengo un libro(I have a book)
Spanish almost always needs an article before nouns!
Quick Test / Mini Quiz
📝 Interactive Articles Quiz
Test your understanding of Spanish articles!
1
🏠 House talk! Which article goes with 'casa' (house)?
2
📚 School supplies! What's the indefinite article for 'libro' (book)?
3
👥 Group check! Is 'los estudiantes' singular or plural?
4
🍎 Shopping time! How do you say 'some apples' in Spanish?
5
🎯 Specific vs general! When do we use definite articles?
6
☕ Café order! How do you say 'I want THE coffee' (specific one)?
7
🐕 Pet talk! What's the correct way to say 'a dog' in Spanish?
8
👔 Fashion check! How do you say 'the shirts' (plural) in Spanish?
Useful Resources
Coming soon...