Definite and Indefinite Articles: Part I

The difference between definite articles and indefinite articles can be
observed in the following two sentences:

Give me the chocolate chip cookie.
Give me a cookie, please.

Imagine a plate full of cookies. There are peanut butter cookies, sugar cookies, gingerbread cookies, and one chocolate chip cookie.

The first sentence speaks of a particular (or definite) cookie:

Give me the chocolate chip cookie.

The second sentence speaks of any of a number of cookies (or an indefinite cookie):

Give me a cookie, please.

The difference between the definite and indefinite articles is the difference between talking about a specific cookie, or any old cookie at all.

In English, the definite article is the word “the” regardless of whether the noun it introduces is singular or plural.

In Spanish, the definite article has 4 forms, depending on whether the noun is masculine, feminine, singular or plural.

Note: The masculine plural definite and indefinite articles (los, unos) are also used to indicate a group of mixed sex. Thus, “los gatos” could refer to a group of 10 male cats, or it could refer to a group of 9 female cats and one male cat.

The 4 forms of the definite article are:

In English, the indefinite article is the word “a,” “an,” or “some.”

In Spanish, the indefinite article has 4 forms, depending on whether the
noun is masculine, feminine, singular or plural.

Note: Remember, as long as the group of creatures has at least one male member, the masculine plural article is used. Thus, “unos gatos” could refer to a group of 10 male cats, or it could refer to a group of 9 female cats and one male cat.

The 4 forms of the indefinite article are:

Here are the definite and indefinite articles together:

el, un masculine singular la, una feminine singular los, unos masculine plural las, unas feminine plural

Each of the following has a different meaning:

el gato the male cat los gatos the male cats (or a mixed group) la gata the female cat las gatas the female cats un gato a male cat unos gatos some male cats (or a mixed group) una gata a female cat unas gatas some female cats

“Un” and “una” can mean “one,” “a,” or “an.”