Use of definite articles?
In some of the early Rosetta Stone Online Sessions, we have to describe what people are wearing.
So, let's say a woman is wearing a white T-shirt, green pants, and black shoes.
The "una" before "camiseta" makes sense to me, but do you say "los" before "pantalones" and "zapatos"?
And is it "lleva" or "está llevando"... or are both of those acceptable?
La mujer lleva una camiseta blanca, los pantalones verdes, y los zapatos negros.
La mujer está llevando una camiseta blanca, pantalones verdes, y zapatos negros.
In English (when just describing what somebody is wearing), we would say "a T-shift", but we wouldn't say "the pants" or "the shoes".
7 Answers
So, let's say a woman is wearing a white T-shirt, green pants, and black shoes.
The "una" before "camiseta" makes sense to me, but do you say "los" before "pantalones" and "zapatos"?
You'd use "los" if you expect others to know exactly what shoes and trousers are those, like in English: "She is wearing THE shoes".
And is it "lleva" or "está llevando"... or are both of those acceptable?
"Está llevando" is a progressive construction, which means that you are in the middle of an action which progresses as it approaches its completion or conclusion, generally accomplishing something, but obviously, there are no developments or conclusions in the act to wearing something, so it would sound rather weird. However, if "está llevando" is used to mean that she is carrying clothes from one place to another, this action would develop as more and more clothes reach their destination, and it would culminate when all of them end up there and the task has been accomplished, so the progressive would be justified.
La mujer lleva una camiseta blanca, los pantalones verdes, y los zapatos negros.
That is correct if you expect others to know (or you imply that) that she owns one pair of green trousers and one pair of black trousers, and she is wearing exactly those; otherwise, you simply say "pantalones verdes, y zapatos negros".
La mujer lleva una camiseta blanca, pantalones verdes, y zapatos negros.
As others have noted, this sentence is correct if you are giving a general description about what someone is wearing.
La mujer lleva una camiseta blanca, los pantalones verdes, y los zapatos negros.
Again, as others have noted, this sentence is correct if you are describing specific green pants and black shoes. But since your goal is a general description of all the articles of clothing, then you cannot use the definite article. You must either use an indefinite article, or you may leave off the indefinite articles for plurals (as in the first sentence above.) Example with indefinite articles:
La mujer lleva una camiseta blanca, unos pantalones verdes, y unos zapatos negros.
In English, we would say "a T-shift", but we wouldn't say "the pants" or "the shoes".
Actually, I can think of several situations where we would.
I think lleva, as well as the progressive form would be correct. "The lady wears..." & "the lady is wearing..."
If I were you, I'd use your second example.
La mujer está llevando una camiseta blanca, pantalones verdes, y zapatos negros.
Hello Tosh,
Just incase you have not seen this refferrence article: Articles - Definite
I am working on this too. 
there are no developments or conclusions in the act to wearing something
Sometimes there are, but since this is a family oriented forum I won't go into further detail. . .
Anybody know about the use of the articles?
