1.4.1 - Indefinite Articles
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Instructions
Artículos Indefinidos
Indefinite Articles
Identifying nouns is extremely important when formulating any type of sentence. In previous lessons, we have learned how to use DEFINITE ARTICLES in Spanish. Let's briefly review the Spanish definite articles, which in English simply mean "THE." The following are the definite articles in Spanish:
el - (Masculine, singular) *
la - (Feminine, singular)
los - (Masculine, plural)
las - (Feminine, plural)
Make sure for the definite article "el" that you do not include an accent mark. If you include an accent mark, then "él" no longer means "the," it would mean "he."
el = the (masculine definite article)
él = he (you will learn this in the next module)
What about identifying those objects that may not be clear to the listener? What about INDEFINITE ARTICLES? The answers to these questions are the focus of this lesson.
First, study the table below, then listen to the oral recording that provides you with the pronunciation of each one of these articles.
|
Singular |
Plural |
|
|
Feminine |
Una (a / an) |
Unas (some) |
|
Masculine |
Un (a / an) |
Unos (some) |
Now listen to the recording below:
SINGULAR
In English, the singular indefinite articles are either A or AN for both masculine and feminine nouns. In Spanish, as shown in the table above, the singular indefinite articles are:
UN
UNA
The singular indefinite article (un/una) you use depends on the gender of the singular noun.
Examples:
un viaje
una cabaña
una habitación*
un cuarto
un vuelo
una llegada
una salida
un tren
un auto
* Notice that there are some general rules to follow when determining if a noun is feminine or masculine, such as looking to see if the word ends with "a" (it is feminine) or if it ends in "e" or "o" (it is masculine). However, since there ARE exceptions to this rule, you need to memorize and make note of these exceptions as you increase your vocabulary. For example:
agua (masculine) - water
habitación (feminine) - room
Plural
In English, the plural indefinite articles are not as clear as they are in Spanish. Indefinite articles in English are not communicated directly as often as they are in Spanish. However, the closest translation of an indefinite article in English is "some." In Spanish, as shown in the table above, the plural indefinite articles are:
UNOS
UNAS
The plural indefinite article (unos/unas) you use depends on the gender of the plural noun.
Examples:
unos viajes
unas cabañas
unas habitaciones
unos cuartos
unos vuelos
unas llegadas
unas salidas
unos trenes
unos autos
Once you clearly understand this lesson and how to apply these grammatical concepts, complete the quiz below.
NOTE: Sample quiz questions are not available in this preview course.