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Spanish Grammar in Context

A reference grammar with video examples from the Spanish in Texas collection

  • Credits
  • Index
  • About
  • Home
  • Adjectives
    • Introduction to Adjectives
    • Adjectives – Formation and Placement
    • Comparisons and Superlatives with Adjectives
    • Past Participles as Adjectives
    • Todo
    • Indefinite Adjectives
    • Adjectives Practice
  • Adverbs
    • Introduction to Adverbs
    • Adverbs – Formation and Placement
    • Comparative Adverbs
    • Adverbs Practice
  • Conjunctions
    • Introduction to Conjunctions
    • Coordinating Conjunctions
    • Subordinating Conjunctions
    • Conjunctions Practice
  • Determiners
    • Introduction to Determiners
    • Definite Articles
    • Indefinite Articles
    • Possessive Determiners
    • Demonstrative Determiners
    • Expressions of Quantity
    • Determiners Practice
  • Negation
    • Introduction to Negation
    • Basic Negation: No
    • Alternate Forms of Negation
    • One-word Negative Sentences
    • Negation Practice
  • Nouns
    • Introduction to Nouns
    • Nouns – Number
    • Nouns – Gender
    • Nouns Practice
  • Prepositions
    • Introduction to Prepositions
    • Common Prepositions
    • Por vs. Para
    • Prepositions Practice
  • Pronouns
    • Introduction to Pronouns
    • Subject Pronouns
    • Direct Object Pronouns
    • Indirect Object Pronouns
    • Reflexive Pronouns
    • Order of Object Pronouns
    • Relative Pronouns
    • Indefinite Pronouns
    • Demonstrative Pronouns
    • Possessive Pronouns
    • Pronouns Practice
  • Verbs
    • Introduction to Verbs
    • Tense/Mood
    • Introduction to Present Tense
      • -ar Verbs (Regular) Present Tense
      • -er Verbs (Regular) Present Tense
      • -ir Verbs (Regular) Present Tense
    • Ser “To Be”
    • Haber “To Have”
    • Reflexive Verbs
    • Preterit
    • Present Perfect
    • Imperfect
    • Narration: Preterit vs. Imperfect
    • Pluperfect
    • Future
    • Conditional
    • Past Conditional
    • Imperative Mood (commands)
    • Introduction to Subjunctive
      • Subjunctive – Present
      • Subjunctive – Past or Imperfect
      • Subjunctive – Present Perfect
      • Subjunctive – Pluperfect
      • Tense Sequences
    • Si Clauses (If Clauses)
    • Indirect Speech
      • Indirect Speech – Present
      • Indirect Speech – Past
    • Passive Voice
    • Language Contact
    • Verbs Practice
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    Practice quizzes: determiners

    Indefinite Articles

    singular plural
    masculine un unos
    feminine una unas

    Forms

    In Spanish, few nouns can stand alone. Most need to be introduced or determined by an article. As in English, an article is characterized as either definite (the) or indefinite (a, an).  Spanish articles must match the gender and the number of the noun they determine, resulting in four forms of the indefinite article, as seen in the table above.

    Masculine Article with A-initial Feminine Nouns

    When a feminine singular noun begins with a stressed –a or –ha, the masculine article un or el is used instead the feminine una or la, to aide in pronunciation. When the same noun is plural, the feminine article unas or las is used.  The following feminine nouns use the masculine article when singular.

    • un alma – unas almas soul
    • un hacha – unas hachas ax
    • un hambre – unas hambres hunger
    • un agua – unas aguas water
    • un águila – unas águilas eagle

    Uses

    As the English a, an, or some, the indefinite articles un, una, unos, unas refer to nouns which are non-specific. Un or una may also indicate quantity, meaning one. Compare the use of the indefinite and definite articles in the first two sentences below.

    Tenía un pingüino yo como de mascota…. me iba al supermercado y compraba pescado y le daba el pescado, porque no comía nada, uno de los compañeros de trabajo de ahí del local, me dijo el pingüino no va a comer nunca un pescado muerto.
    I had a penguin as a pet… I would go to the supermarket and buy him fish and I would give him the fish. Because he wasn’t eating anything, one of the staff of the store told me the penguin is never ever going to eat a dead fish.

    With Adjectives of Profession, Nationality, and Religion

    Professions, nationalities, and religions are considered adjectives in Spanish and need no article after verbs like ser.

    A mí me encantaría ser arquitecto.
    I would love to be an architect.
    Tengo una compañera de trabajo, ella es maestra.
    I have a collegue; she is a teacher.

    COERLL • The University of Texas at Austin • info@coerll.utexas.edu Creative Commons License

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