Test Spanish 03-30-06 In English, when we use an abstract noun or a noun in a generic or general sense, we do not use an article. In Spanish, the definite article is required before nouns used in a general sense and before abstract nouns. Compare the following Spanish/English sentences: Los mendigos son pobres. Beggars are poor. Los cobardes tienen miedo. Cowards are afraid. La gente tiene que trabajar People have to work La bondad es un virtud Kindness is a virtue. Formulas El/la (los/las) noun El noun y el noun *noun could also be an emotion (Kindness in example above) singular for body parts and clothing Un/una go with descriptions/adjectives Addressing People The definite article must be used with titles in Spanish when speaking about someone: El seor ___ La esposa ____, la doctora ____, es mdica La doctora ____ trabaja en una clnica The article is not used with a persons title when speaking directly to the person --Buenos das, seor ____ --hola, doctora ____ Days of the Week In Spanish, the definite article is used with the days of the week to convey the meaning "on". Tengo clases los Lunes. I have classes on Mondays. El Domingo voy al campo. On Sunday Im going to the country. Lunes, Martes, Mircoles, Jueves, Viernes, Sbado, Domingo Reflexives In Spanish when you refer to parts of the body and articles of clothing, you use the definite article with the reflexive pronoun. Yo me lavo las manos antes comer. de I wash my hands before eating. Yo me cepillo los dientes y me lavo la cara. I brush my teeth and wash my face. Note also that the object noun is usually in the plural in English when the subject is plural. In Spanish, the noun is in the singular. Nosotros nos ponemos el casco para trabajar We put on our hardhats to work Y nos quitamos la corbata y la gorra. And we take off our ties and caps. Since each person has only one hardhat, one tie, and one cap, the singular form is used, not the plural. What People Are The indefinite article is omitted in Spanish when the verb ser is followed by an unmodified noun that denotes a profession or nationality. In English, the indefinite article is used. La seorita ____ es abogada Ms. ____ is a lawyer La seora ___ es viuda Mrs. Herrera is a widow ______ es viudo _____ is a widower The indefinite article must be used whenever the noun that follows the verb ser is modified. La seorita ____ es una abogada muy hbil. Mrs. _____ is a very able lawyer. El seor ___ es un viudo muy joven. Mr. _____ is a very young widower Verse Juan dio testimonio de l, y clam, diciendo: " ste es de quien yo deca: ,,El que viene despus de m es antes de m, porque era primero que yo." ~Juan Uno: Quince John gave testimony of Him and cried out, saying "This is the one of whom I told you, He who comes after me is before me, because He was greater than me." ~John 1:15