Definite and indefinite articles in Spanish (A1)

what is it?

An article is a small word placed before a noun to signal whether the speaker is referring to a specific, known thing (definite) or to any unspecified member of a category (indefinite). In Spanish, articles agree with the noun in both gender (masculine/feminine) and number (singular/plural). There are also two obligatory contractions — al and del — formed when a or de immediately precedes the masculine singular definite article el. The article is sometimes omitted altogether — most notably after the impersonal verb hay.

when to use it

Definite article — use when both speaker and listener know which specific thing is meant: a noun mentioned before, a unique referent, or a noun used in a general sense as the subject of gustar and similar verbs (e.g. me gusta el chocolate).
Indefinite article — use when introducing a noun for the first time or referring to one unspecified member of a group: hay un libro en la mesa (there is a book on the table).
Contractions al and del — whenever the preposition a or de is followed by the masculine singular definite article el, they must merge: a + el → al, de + el → del. This rule does not apply when El is part of a proper name (e.g. de El Salvador).
No article after hay — the impersonal hay (there is / there are) is followed by an indefinite or bare noun, never by a definite article: hay leche, hay un café.

formation

Choose the article form that matches the gender and number of the noun it accompanies.

type	masculine singular	feminine singular	masculine plural	feminine plural
definite	el	la	los	las
indefinite	un	una	unos	unas

The two obligatory contractions replace a el and de el in all contexts except proper names.

preposition + article	contracted form	example
a + el	al	Vamos al cine.
de + el	del	Vengo del trabajo.

examples in context

Vamos al cine y volvemos del trabajo a las ocho.

We go to the cinema and come back from work at eight.

Both contractions are obligatory: a + el → al and de + el → del. The definite article las agrees with the feminine plural noun horas (understood).

Me gusta la música clásica.

I like classical music.

With gustar, the thing liked is the grammatical subject and always takes the definite article.

Hay un café cerca de aquí.

There is a café near here.

After hay, use the indefinite article (or no article at all) — never the definite article.

El libro es del profesor.

The book is the teacher's.

Definite el identifies a specific book already known to both speakers; de + el contracts to del.

common pitfalls

Forgetting the contractions al and del. The sequences a el and de el do not exist in standard Spanish. Always write al and del.
✗ Vengo de el trabajo. ✓ Vengo del trabajo.
Omitting the article before the subject of gustar. In English, «I like chocolate» has no article; in Spanish the noun that follows gustar is the grammatical subject and requires the definite article.
✗ Me gusta chocolate. ✓ Me gusta el chocolate.
Inserting a definite article after hay. The impersonal hay asserts the existence of something and is incompatible with the definite article. Use an indefinite article or no article.
✗ Hay la leche en la nevera. ✓ Hay leche en la nevera.

Quick check

Three sentences, graded here. Nothing is saved and no account is needed.

1 / 3

Los informes ___ jefe están en la mesa.

Fill in the blank with the correct word.