Spanish grammar: Artículos: un, una, el, la, los, las

What this grammar point covers

Articles are small words before nouns. In Spanish, they show gender (masculine/feminine) and number (singular/plural), and signal if a noun is specific or general.

When to use it

Use 'un/una' for one non-specific item, 'el/la' for a known or specific item.

Key forms

• un/una + singular noun
• el/la + specific singular noun
• los/las + specific plural noun

Examples

Tips

• Choose article by gender and number: un libro, una mesa.
• Practice with common nouns first.
• Articles are frequent and important for natural Spanish.

Exceptions and edge cases

• Some nouns appear without articles in fixed expressions: en casa, ir a clase.