artículo determinado
/aɾtikulo deteɾminado/from spelling rules
The English phrase 'definite article' is translated into Spanish as artículo determinado.
In Spanish, it is the counterpart to the term artículo indefinido, which means 'indefinite article'.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is composed of artículo (article) and determinado (determined/definite).
How do you pronounce it?
/aɾtikulo deteɾminado/
Did you know?
- In many Spanish-speaking regions, the definite article is used to refer to abstract concepts or body parts, such as me duele la cabeza for 'my head hurts', rather than using possessive adjectives.
- The word artículo shares a common ancestor with the English word 'articulate', as both stem from the Latin 'articulus' meaning a small joint or part.
- Spanish speakers use the artículo determinado with days of the week to indicate a habit, such as saying el lunes to mean 'every Monday'.
Examples in context
- Voy a la playa.I'm going to the beach.
- El perro ladra.The dog barks.
- Me gustan los tomates.I like tomatoes.
- Las montañas son hermosas.The mountains are beautiful.
- El uso del artículo determinado es importante.The use of the definite article is important.
- No olvides poner el artículo determinado.Don't forget to put the definite article.
- ¿Sabes qué es un artículo determinado?Do you know what a definite article is?
Example conversation
María is helping Alejandro with his Spanish homework.
- María¿Entiendes la lección sobre el artículo determinado?Do you understand the lesson about the definite article?
- AlejandroUn poco, pero es difícil.A little, but it is difficult.
- MaríaTe enseñaré a usar el artículo determinado correctamente.I will teach you to use the definite article correctly.
- AlejandroGracias, María, eres muy buena profesora.Thanks, María, you are a very good teacher.
Sources
- IPA marked “from spelling rules” is derived from standard Spanish spelling, where Wiktionary gives none.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries artículo, determinado, CC BY-SA 4.0.
