FORMS OF THE ARTICLES 1. There are four definite articles in

NOUNS AND ARTICLES
131
FORMS OF THE ARTICLES
1. There are four definite articles in Spanish that represent the English article the.
PLUKAL
SINGULAR
MASCULINE
el
los
FEMININE
la
las
Note
A. Feminine nouns that begin with the stressed sound of a (a- or ha-) take the article el in the singular.
In the plural, the article is las.
las almas, the souls
el alma, the soul
las hachas, the axes
el ftacha, the ax
but
la amiga j .^.^ ^ .g ^ stressed
la alumna J
B. The masculine article el combines with the prepositions de and a to form del and al.
C. There is also a neuter article lo, used with adjectives, which does not vary in form.
lo bueno, the good (that which is good)
2. There are two indefinite articles in Spanish that represent the English article a Can}.
FEMININE: una
MASCULINE :un
Note
The forms unos and unas mean some, several, a few, etc.
SPECIAL USES OF THE ARTICLES
The definite article is used in Spanish, but omitted in English, as follows:
1. Before the names of languages, except after hablar, en, or de.
El espaflol es importante hoy dia.
but
Mi amigo habla frances.
.
Spanish is important nowadays.
Todo el libro esta escrito en aleman.
My friend speaks French.
The whole book is written in German.
La clase de espaflol es interesarite.
The Spanish class is interesting.
Note
If an adverb occurs between hablar and a name of a language, the article is used with the language.
Habla Wen el espafiol.
He speaks Spanish well.
I
2. Before titles, except when addressing the person.
El senor G6mez sali6 ayer.
but
iC6mo esta Vd., sefiora Alvarez?
Mr. G6mez left yesterday,
How are you, Mrs. Alvarez?
Note
The article is omitted before don (dona), Santo (San, Santa),
3. Instead of the possessive adjective, with parts of .the body or personal possessions (clothing, etc.).
Ella tiene el pelo rubio.
She has blond hair. (Her hair is blond.)
Se puso el sombrero.
He put on his hat.
4. With the time of day (la, las = hour, hours).
Es la una.
It is one o'clock.
Me acuesto a las diez.
I go to bed at ten o'clock.
5. Before nouns used in a general or abstract sense.
El hombre es mortal.
Man. is mortal.
La libertad es preciosa.
Liberty is precious.
Los diamantes son caros.
Diamonds are expensive.
6. Before infinitives used as nouns. Such nouns are always masculine.
El mentir es un vicio.
Lying is a vice.
7. With the names of seasons.
Me gusta la primavera (el verano, el otono,
el invierno).
I like spring (summer, autumn, winter).
8. With-the days of the week, except after the verb ser.
Ire" al teatro el sabado,
.
Los viernes hay pruebas.
but
Hoy es jueves.
I will go to the theater (on) Saturday.
(On) Fridays there are tests.
Today is Thursday.
9. Before certain geographic names.
los Andes, the Andes
la Argentina, Argentina
el Brasil, Brazil
el Canada1, Canada
el Ecuador, Ecuador
los Estados TTru'dos, the United States
la
la
el
el
el
el
Florida, Florida
Habana, Havana
Orinoco, the Orinoco (river)
Paraguay, Paraguay
Perti, Peru
Uruguay, Uruguay
Note
Even with geographic names that ordinarilj^ are not used with the article, the article is used if
the name is modified.
America tiene muchas riquezas.
Espafia esta en Europa.
La America del Sur tiene muchas riqueaas.
La EspaHa'del siglo XVI me interesa.
NOUNS AND A R T I C L E S
33
10. To express a (an) with weights or measures,
un ddlar la libra
a dollar a pound
diez centavos la docena
ten cents a dozen
NEUTER ARTICLE LO
1. The neuter article lo precedes an adjective used as a noun to express a qualiby or an abstract
idea.
Lo pintoresco me atrae.
The picturesque (That which is picturesque)
attracts me.
Pienso lo mismo que Yd.
I think the same as you.
2. .Lo -f adjective (or adverb) -f- que = how.
Ya veo lo bueno (buena) que es.
I see how good he (she) is.
Me sorprende lo r&pidamente que corre.
I am surprised at how quickly he runs.
Note
• ' Since the article lo is neuter, it ha's no plural form. Therefore, lo is used whether the adjective
is masculine or feminine, singular or plural.
OMISSION OF THE ARTICLES
1. The articles are omitted:
a. Before nouns in apposition.
Madrid, capital de Espafia, esta en el centro
del pals.
Madrid, the capital of Spain, is in the center
of the country.
Lo^e de Vega, dramaturgo espaflol, escribid
muchas comedias.
Lope de Yoga, a Spanish "dramatist, wrote
many plays.
b. Before numerals expressing the numerical order of rulers.
Carlos Quinto
Charles the Fifth
Isabel Segunda
Isabel the Second
2. The indefinite article is omitted:
a. Before predicate nouns denoting a class or group (social class, occupation, nationality, religion, etc.).
Es peluquero.
He is a barber.
Soy americano.
I am (an) American.
Quiero hacerme medico.
I want to become a doctor.
Note
If the predicate noun is modified, the indefinite article is expressed.
Era un peluquero habil.
He was a skillful barber.
Quiero serun medico bueno,
I want to be a good doctor.
1. Before or after certain words that in English ordinarily have the article: otro (another), cierto
(a certain), ciento (a hundred); mil '(a thousand), tal . , . (such a . . ,), Jque . . . I (what a . . . ! ) .
otra carta
cierto dia
cien drtlares
mil soldados
tal hombre
}Que memorial
.
another letter
a certain day
one (a) hundred dollars
one (a) thousand soldiers
such a man
What a memory!
EJBRCICIOS
A. Para cada uno do los sustantivos (nouns) siguientes, escrfbanse (1) su artfculo definido, (2) la
forma plural del artlculo defiuido, y (3) la forma plural del sustantivo:
: pluma— la pluma; las plumas
1. mujer
---------------------------------
16. almohada
2. aula _______ ___________________________ 17. hazafia
3. muchedumbre _________________________ • 18. base
4. idioma
-------------------------------5. papel _________________________________
6. rey
19, nariz
20, deber
___________________________________ 21. ala
7- aguja
___________
.......
_______________
22. ley _____ ,
8. drama ________________________________ 23. mano
9. viernes ________________________________ 24, amistad
10. hacha _________ ...... __________________ 25. ave
11. tclegrama. _____________________________ 26. clima
12. tranvla ........ ________________ _______ 27, luz ______ 1
13. alma __________________________________ 28. problema
14. ciudad ________ ..... ___________________ 29. serie
15. especie
________________________________
30, domingo
B, Eserlbase la forma plural de los sustantivos que siguen:
1. avitSn
2. unio'n
11. Catalan
12. corazdn
21. me'rito
22, volcan
3. lapiz
13. liquido
23, var6n
4. ademaii
5. joven
14. francos
15. fdsforo
24, obligacidn
25, taxfmetro
6. par^ntesis
7. aguila
16. g^nero
17. kilo1 metro
26. sabana —
27. portugue"s
8. posesidn
18. Ifmite
28. pir^mide _
9. colchdn
10. sabado
_.
19. linea
20. maldicidn
'29. platano _ _
_._ 30. razdn
NOUNS AND
ARTICLES
135
C. Escrfbase la forma femenina que corresponds a cada uno de los sustantivos que siguen.
BJBMPLO : el cabadero—la dama
1. el hombre
10. cl bailarfn
18. ol ladrdn
2. el gallo
11. el poeta
19. el policia
3. don
12. el escultor
4. el alcman
13. el prlncipe
21. el tore _ _
5. el actor
14. el rey
22. el hijo --
6. el marido
15.'el ruso
23. el conde
7. el artisfca
16. el padre .._
24. ol esposo
8. el emperador
17. el abuelo _
25. el joven
9. el var<5n
__„
___
20. el frances
_
,
D. Tradrizcanse al espanol las expresion.es en ingles.
1. A Vd. le gusia the picturesque
2. Sadness
semejantes.
_j
, y a mi the same
y melancholy
3. On Saturdays
tarde.
son sensaciones
y on Sundays
4. The Andes
mo desayuno
marcan la frontera entre Chile and Argentina
5. The beautiful
y the sad
6. Carlos the Third
de Espana.
atraen a los poetas.
sigui6 a Felipe the Fifth _ ;
7. Es imposible trabajar en such a
fabrica; voy a buscar another
8. En gran parte de South America
P. Brazil
-
en el trono
empleo.
se habla Spanish
y Colombia
exportan mucho cafe" a the
United States _
10. The possible
exige mas tiempo.
se ejecuta en seguida; the impossible
11. La nifia es muy guapa; tiene blond hair
12. ^En-winter
, se hielanloslagos; eii.spring
nature
parece renovarse.
13. Es a good plumber
, pero desea ser a carpenter
y her gloves
14. La senora se puso her hat
marcho".
15. /What an
16. I Mire Vd. how easily
y blue eyes
idea! £C6mo se puede realizar such a
-
escribe Juanito!
, y se
proyecto?
136
SPANISH THREE YEARS
17. Mr. & Mrs. _ , _
_ _ Rivera construyen una casa magnffica en Los Angeles.
18. Buying
y selling __
19. The Amazon
.___
20. The civil
21. General
_
son
la base of commerce
es cl rio mas grande do South America
_ debe ser superior a the military
_
Alvarez y Captain _
la linda hija de Mrs.
_.
Guzman quieren a
__ Hernandez.
22. Bl cartero viene a nine o'clock
.23, Eggs
y a one o'clock
,
se vondon a setenta centayos a
24. Yds. no pueden figurarse how easy
25. Spanish „ _ _
estudiarse.
__
26. Gold
y silver
27. Spain
docena.
es aprender a nadar.
_ _ y Frendi
son idiomas que deben
son preciosos para men
es pintoresca boy, pero me interesa mas Spain _
del Siglo de Oro.
28. Segiin el calendario, summer
en septiembre.
29. Hoy es Tuesday
_
principia en junio, y autumn
, y manana sera Wednesday , r
30. Meencantaofrlos; saben conversar en Portuguese
e Italian
E. Conte"stense en espafiol en frases completas.
1. jCual es el rio mas grande de la America del Sur?
__„
(
2. ^A qu6 hora se levanta Vd. los jueves?
3. Al entrar en la clase, ^cdrao saluda Vd. al maestro?
4. ,iQue dfa de la semana asiste Vd. al cine?
5. ;,Qu6 se lleva en los pies? ^en las manos? ^en la cabeza?
6. ^Que" quiere Vd. ser?
7. ^Que" pals hispanoamericano quiere Vd. visitar?
8. ^En qu6 estacidn tiene Vd, sus vacaciones?
_
INUUN5 AND
9. jEn quo" estacidn caen las hojas de los arboles?
10. .jQue" idioma se habla en el Uruguay?
F. Traduzcanse al espanol.
1. Upon going out, he was surprised at how dark the night was. _
2. Saint Theresa was a religious writer of the sixteenth century.
3. What a memory he has! He remembers all the historical dates.
4. We ought to struggle for liberty and independence.
5. Lima, the capital of Peru, has a long history.
6. The witness said that she hadjseen the accident.
7. At eleven o'clock I am going to the Spanish class.
8. He sold the apples at twenty cents a pound.
__.
9. Saint Isidro, the patron (saint) of Madrid, was a peasant.
10. My friend Joseph married a pretty German girl.
11. I am accustomed fco brush my teeth twice a day.
12. Mr. Zorrilla is a Spaniard; his wife is a Russian.
13. Fishing and swimming are prohibited in this lake.
14. Isabel the Second was the daughter of Ferdinand the Seventh.
15. Dr. Suarez accompanied Miss Aloiiso to the dance. —
16. Peru and Bolivia are neighboring countries.
.._
ARTICLES
137
17. The bank closes at throe o'clock on Fridays.
18. Instead of getting lost in' the capital, I prefer to buy a guidebook. _ „
19. Love, friendship, and beauty are the soul of poetry.
.
20. Because of the vacation, I like summer more than the other seasons.
21. The good (part) of the matter is that the police know the criminal. .
22. The human race is divided into male and female.
:
23. On Thursdays I take my piano lesson.
24. Why don't you consult Dr. Mene'ndez? He is a good doctor.
25. The king's son is called a prince; and his daughter, a princess.
s-
La Piedra del Sol es un famoso ejemplo de la escultura azteca. Las figuras
representan los dias, los elementos, etc. Los aztecas la usaban como calendario, y con ella podian marcar con gran exactitud los dias y los anos.