Did you know that some of the most used words in Spanish are the articles? These particles are essential to communicate effectively in the language, so learning to master them is the next step to becoming a fluent Spanish speaker.

At donQuijote we know that sometimes Spanish articles can be quite a challenge, so here you can find a post with everything you need to know about them, what they are, how they are used and the different types that exist.  Read on so you don't miss anything and come learn Spanish in Spain with us to experience the language firsthand.

You can read this same blog post in Spanish, French or Italian.

What is an article in Spanish?

A Spanish article is a word that accompanies a noun and determines its gender, masculine or feminine, and its number, singular or plural. Articles in Spanish can be definite or indefinite depending on the degree of specificity they express.

These particles are used every day, and they are essential for communication in Spanish. For example, in the sentence, “El perro de mi vecino es un dálmata” (my neighbor's dog is a Dalmatian), there are two articles: “el” and “un”.

Types of Spanish articles

There are two basic types of articles that you must differentiate in Spanish.

Definite article in Spanish

Definite Spanish articles are those that indicate that the noun they accompany is known or specific. The following can be distinguished: el, la, los, las, lo.

• Masculine singular: el → El libro es azul (The book is blue)
• Feminine singular: la → La mesa está rota (The table is broken)
• Masculine plural: los → Los alumnos se van de excursión (The students are going on a field trip)
• Feminine plural: las → Las ventanas están abiertas (The windows are open)

“Lo” is a neuter article that is rarely used but knowing that it exists will help you recognize it if you see it in a text.

Indefinite article in Spanish

On the other hand, the indefinite Spanish articles, which indicate that the noun they accompany is not specific or is unknown. They are: un, una, unos, unas.

• Masculine singular: un → He visto un pájaro en la ventana (I have seen a bird in the window)
• Feminine singular: una → Hay una mariposa en el cristal (There is a butterfly on the glass)
• Masculine plural: unos → ¿Te has comprador unos zapatos nuevos? (Did you buy some new shoes?)
• Feminine plural: unas → Vimos unas puertas gigantescas en la mansion (We saw some gigantic doors in the mansion)

In addition to definite and indefinite articles in Spanish, there are contracted articles, which is a definite Spanish article combined with the preposition 'a' or 'de' and form a contraction. For example: “Vamos al cine” (we’re going to the cinema). This article “al” is formed with the preposition “a” and the article “el”.

When to use articles in Spanish?

In Spanish, articles are important because they help you identify whether you are talking about something specific or not, and to know the gender and number of nouns.

Definite Spanish articles are used when you want to talk about something specific or that you already know.

• El perro está en el jardín (The dog is in the garden) A specific dog that everyone knows. A garden that everyone knows where it is.
• La casa es grande (The house is big) We are talking about a specific house.
• Los niños están jugando (The children are playing) A specific group of children.
• Las flores son hermosas (The flowers are beautiful) Flowers that can be identified.

A rule of thumb that can help you with the use of these articles is that when both you and the other person know what thing or person you are talking about, definite Spanish articles are used.

Indefinite Spanish articles, on the other hand, are used when you are talking about something non-specific, that is, something you don't know well, or it doesn't matter exactly what it is.

• He visto un gato en la calle (I saw a cat in the street) We don't know which cat it was.
• Dame una taza de té, por favor (Give me a cup of tea, please) Any cup will do.
• Compré unos libros interesantes (I bought some interesting books) Some books, not specific.
• Encontré unas fotos viejas (I found some old photos) Photos, not specific.

A rule of thumb for knowing when to use indefinite Spanish articles: when you talk about something that is not known to everyone or that you don't need to specify.

Another tricky aspect of Spanish articles is knowing how to choose gender and number. The first thing you need to know is that the Spanish article must match the gender and number of the noun it accompanies.

For example: un libro, el libro, los libros or una flor, la flor, las flores.

Also, when the definite Spanish article “el” is combined with the prepositions “a” or “de”, a contraction is formed: “al”: a + el and “del”: de + el. For example: Es el libro del professor de matemáticas (It is the math teacher's book).

Common errors in the use of Spanish articles

In Spanish, articles are almost always used with nouns, but they may not be used in your language.

• It would be incorrect to say “Perro está en jardín”
• The correct form would be: “El perro está en el jardín”

You should also not confuse gender and number, as the Spanish article must always agree with the noun.

• It is incorrect to say “el mesa”
• It would be correct to say “la mesa”

Beware of the neuter article “lo”. Although it is not very common, this article exists, and you can see it in some sentences. “Lo” is not a regular article, but is used with adjectives, abstract concepts or ideas, qualities or generalized ideas. For example:

• Lo importante es estudiar todos los días (The important thing is to study every day)
• Me encanta lo bonito de este lugar (I love how beautiful this place is)
• Lo mejor de las vacaciopnes fue la comida (The best part of the vacation was the food)

Examples with Spanish articles

Here are some sentences with definite and indefinite articles in Spanish so that you can see the use and position of each one:

• La casa es muy bonita (The house is very nice)
• Vi un coche rojo en la calle (I saw a red car in the street)
• Compré una flor para mi madre (I bought a flower for my mother)
• Los niños están jugando en el parque (The children are playing in the park)
• Las estrellas brillan mucho esta noche (The stars are very bright tonight)
• Necesito unos zapatos nuevos (I need some new shoes)
• Compré unas manzanas en el mercado (I bought some apples at the market)
• Fuimos al cine ayer (We went to the movies yesterday)
• La portada del libro es muy interesante (The cover of the book is very interesting)
• No me gusta el ruido de la ciudad (I don't like the noise of the city)
• ¿Dónde está la llave del coche? (Where is the car key?)
• Me encontré con un amigo de la infancia (I met a childhood friend)
• Ella es una persona muy generosa (She is a very generous person)
• Los perros de la vecina siempre ladran por la noche (The neighbor's dogs always bark at night)
• El gato duerme en el sofá (The cat sleeps on the sofa)

As a review: the main difference between definite Spanish articles (el, la, los, las, lo) and indefinite Spanish articles (un, una, unos, unas) lies in the degree of specificity. Definite articles in Spanish are used when you talk about something specific that you already know or that you can clearly identify. In contrast, indefinite articles in Spanish are used to refer to something unspecific or unknown.

Using the right article helps differentiate whether the noun is something concrete or general. When reading or listening to Spanish, look closely at the articles and how they accompany nouns. This way you will become familiar with them, and you will be able to distinguish them and use them without any problem.

Now all you need to do is practice, sign up for an intensive Spanish course, talk to your classmates and practice watching Spanish series and movies in their original version. Don't miss your chance and start improving your Spanish now!

Have you ever wondered how to form diminutives in Spanish? If the answer is yes, in this donQuijote article you’ll learn the keys to master this technique in Spanish.

The Spanish diminutive is one of the most useful and easy-to-use tools in the Spanish language. It is used to express smallness, affection, sympathy or even to soften an idea. So, as a student of Spanish, mastering the diminutive can be a fun way to enrich your knowledge and vocabulary, as well as bring you closer to a more natural and colloquial use of the language.

Venture into the language and sign up to learn Spanish in Spain with us, let's explore how diminutives work in Spanish!

Although if you prefer, you can change the language of this article to Spanish, French, Italian or Dutch.

What is a Spanish diminutive?

If you remember our post about Spanish prefixes and suffixes, you may have guessed that a diminutive in Spanish is a suffix that is added to a word to modify its meaning. Usually, Spanish diminutives indicate smallness, but they can also convey affection, kindness, respect or even an ironic tone, depending on the context.

Here are some of the simplest diminutives in Spanish:

• Casa → Casita (House)
• Flor → Florecita (Flower)
• Mano → Manita (Hand)
• Árbol → Arbolito (Tree)

As you have seen, in Spanish the most common suffixes to form the diminutive are -ito / -ita. These diminutives are used in much of the Spanish-speaking world and are the most frequent. More examples: Libro → Librito (book) or Perro → Perrito (dog).

Another very common diminutive in Spanish is -illo / -illa. It is used mostly in some regions of Spain and Latin America and sometimes has a slightly derogatory or humorous nuance. For example: Pan → Panecillo (bread) or Chico → Chiquillo (boy).

We continue with -ico / -ica. This diminutive is widely used in certain areas of Spain, especially in Aragon, and in countries such as Colombia, Venezuela and Costa Rica. Some examples are: Pequeño → Pequeñico (boy) or Mano → Manica (hand).

The diminutive -ete / -eta is used less frequently, but you may hear it in some informal contexts. Usually, this diminutive forms words of affective or derogatory value. Examples: Amigo → Amiguete (friend) or Melón → Meloncete (melon).

This diminutive is even less common than the previous one, but it is good to keep in mind since it is often used in colloquial and informal language: -uelo / -uela. It can also give a diminutive or affective feeling. Example: Copa → Copichuela, Joven → Jovenzuelo or Calle → Callejuela.

General rules for forming the diminutive in Spanish

In general, it is very easy to turn a Spanish word into a diminutive, you just must modify the ending and add the suffix. However, there are some grammatical rules that you should know before changing words to diminutives.

If the word ends in a vowel, you simply add the diminutive suffix. For example:

• Gato → Gatito (Cat)
• Mesa → Mesita (Table)
• Abuela → Abuelita (Grandma)
• Limón → Limoncito (Lemon)

If the word ends in a consonant a linking vowel is added before the suffix. For example:

• Amor → Amorcito (Love)
• Arroz → Arrocito (Rice)
• Calor → Calorcito (Heat)
• Nariz → Naricilla (Nose)

In very short words, the suffix is specially adapted to become diminutive:

• Pan → Panecito or Panecillo (Bread)
• Sol → Solecito (Sun)
• Flor → Florcita or Florecilla (Flower)

If you want to make diminutives of a Spanish word with diphthongs or hiatuses it is more complicated, but you can do it without any problem. In these cases, some words require adjustments to maintain the sonority. For example:

• Piedra → Piedrecita (Stone)
• Ruido → Ruidito (Noise)
• Aire → Airecillo (Air)

Examples of the use of Spanish diminutives

Diminutives in Spanish appear in all kinds of contexts from everyday conversations to literature. That's why we bring you several phrases with Spanish diminutives, so you can see how they are used and where in a sentence.

1. Mira que perrito tan bonito (Look at that cute little dog)
2. Voy a tomarme un cafecito antes de salir (I'm going to have a cup of coffee before going out)
3. Hola, mi amorcito, ¿cómo estás? (Hello, my love, how are you?)
4. Me encontré con un librito muy interesante (I came across a very interesting little book)
5. La callejuela estaba decorada con faroles antiguos (The alley was decorated with old lanterns)
6. ¿Puedes darme un panecillo para la merienda? (Can I have a muffin for a snack?)
7. Déjame echarle un ojillo a tu tarea (Let me take a look at your homework)
8. La camisa tiene una manica bordada con flores rojas (The shirt has a sleeve embroidered with red flowers)
9. ¿Me prestas tu ordenador un ratito? (Can I borrow your computer for a while?)
10. Siempre puedes contar con tu amiguete cuando lo necesitas (You can always count on your buddy when you need him)
11. Voy a hacer una comidita ligera para la cena (I'm going to make a light meal for dinner)
12. Después de la cena nos tomamos una copichuela en la terraza (After dinner we have a drink on the terrace)
13. Ese problema es un detallito, no te preocupes (That's a small problem, don't worry)
14. El gatito de mi amiga es muy travieso (My friend's kitty is very naughty)

The diminutive in Spanish not only indicates small size; it can also completely change the nuance of a word or phrase. For example:

• ¿Me podrías dar un momentito? (Could you give me a little moment?) Here it makes the request sound nicer.
• Sólo quiero un poquitito de azúcar (I just want a little bit of sugar). In this example, the amount requested is minimized.
• Sí, claro, ¡el trabajito que me diste es fácil! (Yes, of course, the little job you gave me is easy!) This diminutive can emphasize that the job is complicated.

Tips for Spanish learners

Here are some extra tips for changing words to diminutives in Spanish that can help you better understand and use this linguistic phenomenon:

• Experiment. Try using the diminutive in your conversations. Don't worry if it's confusing at first; with practice it will become more natural.
• Look at the context. Listen to how native speakers use the diminutive and try to imitate it. Is it to express affection, to minimize something, or to make a nicer request?
• Practice with games. Create a list of words and transform them into diminutives. Then use them in sentences to see how they change the meaning of the word or the intention of the phrase.

The diminutive in Spanish is a tool full of nuances that brings richness and naturalness to the language. With a little practice, you will be able to incorporate it into your vocabulary and sound more natural when speaking Spanish. So, take the plunge and, if you still have doubts, don't worry, with donQuijote you can sign up for an intensive Spanish course to improve your command of the language and diminutives.