Indefinite Articles
AVOID THE ✗ sin un problema
✗
sin una maleta✗
sin un boletoBlunder
Blunder
Blunder
] The indefinite article is generally not used when indicating purpose after por or como.
Tiene por mesa una caja He has a cardboard box for
de cartón. a table.
Usa su abrigo como manta. She uses her coat as a blanket.
AVOID THE
✗
por una mesa✗
como una manta] The indefinite article is generally not used as the first word in the title of a book or article in Spanish.
Comparación de estilos A Comparison of Styles
Nuevo método para leer rápido A New Method for Speed Reading
Acercamiento al aprendizaje An Approach to Language
de lenguas Learning
AVOID THE
✗
Una comparación de estilos✗
Un nuevo método para leer rápido✗
Un acercamiento al aprendizaje de lenguas] The omission of an article can indicate a slight change in meaning.
Es la verdad. It’s the truth.
Es verdad. It’s true.
Es una mentira. It’s a lie.
Es mentira. It’s not true.
] A plural indefinite article—unos or unas—can indicate an approximation.
Están esperando unas veinte About 20 people are waiting.
personas.
Tengo que leer unas cincuenta I have to read about 50 pages.
páginas.
Demonstratives
Demonstratives indicate specific nouns in relationship to their distance from the speaker. Demonstratives also serve as pronouns when it is un-
Blunder
Blunder
necessary to state the noun. Use of an accent mark above the first vowel of a demonstrative pronoun is now optional.
] Este(-a/-os/-as) is used to indicate something that is so close that the
speaker can touch it.
Este libro es interesante. This book is interesting.
Éste/Este es interesante. This one is interesting.
Esta novela es larga. This novel is long.
Ésta/Esta es larga. This one is long.
Estos exámenes están corregidos. These exams are corrected.
Éstos/Estos están corregidos. These are corrected.
Estas respuestas no son correctas. These answers are not correct.
Éstas/Estas no son correctas. These are not correct.
When the demonstrative is placed after the noun, it has a negative connotation.
La niña esta me está fastidiando. This pesky little girl is annoying me.
The demonstrative can also refer to time.
esta mañana this morning
esta noche tonight
esta semana this week
este año this year
estos días these days
] Ese(-a/-os/-as) indicates something that is farther away from the
speaker, perhaps close to the person being spoken to.
Ese libro es aburrido. That book is boring.
Ése/Ese es aburrido. That one is boring.
Esa novela es corta. That novel is short.
Ésa/Esa es corta. That one is short.
Esos exámenes no están corregidos. Those exams aren’t corrected.
Ésos/Esos no están corregidos. Those aren’t corrected.
Esas respuestas son correctas. Those answers are correct.
Ésas/Esas son correctas. Those are correct.
AVOID THE
Do not use the pronouns esto and eso before nouns.
✗
esto año✗
eso besoWhen the demonstrative is placed after the noun, it has a negative connotation.
El chico ese vive cerca de mi That annoying kid lives near
casa. my house.
The demonstrative can also refer to time.
esa mañana that morning
esa tarde that afternoon
esa noche that night
ese día that day
] Aquel/aquella/aquellos/aquellas refers to something farther away,
not close to either the speaker or the person being spoken to.
Aquel libro es carísimo. That book over there is really expensive.
Aquella novela no es cara. That novel over there isn’t expensive.
Aquellos exámenes no son míos. Those exams over there aren’t mine.
Aquellas respuestas son Those answers over there are
interesantes. interesting.
The demonstrative can also refer to a distant time.
aquel día that day
aquella semana that week
aquella primavera that spring
aquellos años those years
AVOID THE
Always put the demonstrative before the noun unless you want to indicate a negative connotation.
✗
la mujer esa✗
el profesor aquel✗
los hombres aquellosPossessives
The possessives, mi(s), tu(s), su(s), nuestro(-a/-os/-as), and vuestro(-a/
-os/-as) identify the possessor or owner of something. In Spanish, they
are not used with parts of the body. (See page 59.)
mi libro my book
mis libros my books
mi casa my house
mis casas my houses
tu libro your book
tus libros your books
tu casa your house
tus casas your houses
su libro your book, his book, her book, their book, your (pl.) book
sus libros your books, his books, her books, their books, your (pl.) books
su casa your house, his house, her house, their house, your (pl.) house
sus casas your houses, his houses, her houses, their houses, your (pl.) houses
nuestro libro our book
nuestros libros our books
nuestra casa our house
nuestras casas our houses
vuestro libro your (pl.) book
vuestros libros your (pl.) books
vuestra casa your (pl.) house
vuestras casas your (pl.) houses
AVOID THE
✗
nuestros libro✗
sus casa✗
mi libros✗
nuestras casa] Remember that su(s) can mean “your,” “his,” “her,” and “their.” An -s at the end means that the things possessed are plural.
To distinguish between “your,” “his,” “her,” and “their,” a phrase with de may be used. su coche i your car y el coche de usted t sus coches i your cars y
los coches de usted t
el coche de él his car
los coches de él his cars
el coche de ella her car
los coches de ella her cars
el coche de ustedes your (pl.) car
los coches de ustedes your (pl.) cars
el coche de ellos/ellas their car
los coches de ellos/ellas their cars
] The possessive adjectives mío, tuyo, and suyo follow the verb ser, an article, or a noun, and agree with the noun (or pronoun) in number and gender.
Este coche es mío. El suyo está This car is mine. Yours is over
allí. there.
¿Es tuya esta chaqueta? No puedo Is this jacket yours? I can’t find
encontrar la mía. mine.
Esos paquetes son suyos. Those packages are theirs.
Los nuestros están aquí. Ours are here.
Las flores son nuestras. No sé The flowers are ours. I don’t
dónde están las suyas. know where hers are.
AVOID THE
Suyo(-a/-os/-as) can mean “yours,” “his,” “hers,” and “theirs.” Be
sure the ending agrees in number and gender with the item that is possessed.
✗
Los coches son mío.✗
La chaqueta es suyos.✗
Esos paquetes son suyo.“Yours” (with usted and ustedes), “his,” “hers,” and “theirs” can also be expressed with a phrase using de.
El coche es de usted. The car is yours.
El coche es de él. The car is his.
El coche es de ella. The car is hers.
Los coches son de ustedes. The cars are yours (pl.).
Los coches son de ellos. The cars are theirs.
Los coches son de ellas. The cars are theirs.
“Mine” and “yours” (for tú) are not expressed with a phrase.
El coche es mío. The car is mine.
El coche es tuyo. The car is yours.
AVOID THE