does it always mean "the" when you use "el" or "la"?
Take this sentence, for instance. "Estudia con el libro de gramatica, el diccionario y el papel de vocabulario." Is it really "the grammar book", "the dictionary" and "the vocabulary sheet"?
4 Answers
does it always mean "the" when you use "el" or "la"
As already mentioned by Qfreed, the definite article is not always translated directly into English as "the." In my somewhat limited experience, avoiding unnecessarily literal translations tends to garner more satisfying results. Instead of focusing on word-for-word interpretations, it is often better to try, instead, to grasp fully the idea(s) being expressed before attempting to couch them in terms common to another language. In any case, here are a few other instances in which the definite article does not necessarily engender a literal translation:
When used to describe an inalienable possession:
Me duele la cabeza
Literal: The head hurts to me.
Better: My head hurts.
When used with possessive pronouns.
El mío es mejor que el tuyo.
Literal: The mine is better than the yours.
Better: Mine is better than yours.
When used with jugar a to describe what you play
Me gusta jugar al baloncesto.
Literal: It suits me/It pleases me to play at the basketball.
Better: I like to play basketball.
When used to tell time:
Son las ocho y media
Literal: They are the eight and a half (hours)
Better: It's eight thirty/It's half past eight.
When used with days of the week.
El lunes vamos a la playa
Literal: The Monday we're going to the beach.
Better: On Monday we're going to the beach.
Los lunes vamos a la playa.
Literal: The Mondays we go to the beach.
Better: On Mondays we go to the beach.
When used to describe cost per unit amount
Cuesta 3.000 dólares el kilo
Literal: It costs 3,000 dollars the kilo.
Better: It costs 3,000 dollars per kilo.
When used with numbered nouns:
Puedes encontrar esta información en la página 10.
Literal: You can find this information on the page 10.
Better: You can find this information on page 10.
Vive en la calle 13
Literal: He lives on the street 13.
Better: He lives on 13th street.
Often when used to describe a location or position
Los niños ya están en la cama. Literal: The children are in the bed.
Alternative: The children are in bed.
¡Vete al infierno!
Literal: Go to the hell!
Better: Go to hell!
When used to speak in general, about a class or group.
Los elefantes nunca olvidan
Literal: The elephants never forgets.
Better: Elephants never forget/An elephant never forgets.
No, it does not, but then el/la is not always a definite article like in your examples.
Por ejemplo:
El señor Fulano es mi vecino. The el in the title would not be translated.
La señora Fulano es mi vecina. Mrs. So and So is my neighbor.
el que/ la que=relative pronoun=the el does not translate to the, but rather the one
Sorry, Chileno's answer is correct for what you meant to ask (as a definite article; not as a pronoun), but the word always required a further response. It's a word that I wouldn't suggest that you use much concerning Spanish grammar rules.
I thought the question was about the meaning of "the" not the usage?
Yes. And also with Las and Los.
