numbers have gender?

Question

how do you differentiate between 'one suitcase' and 'a suitcase'?

uno maleta una maleta

Welcome to SpanishDict. You need to use proper capitalization and punctuation here. - rac1, Jun 6, 2015

Bien dicho bonita. xx - ian-hill, Jun 6, 2015

Answer 1

You use "una" maleta for both. If you think about it "a" suitcase means "one" suitcase.

For masculine use "un" as in "un chico" which can be "a" boy or "one" boy.

Here is an edit.

A car is parked in the street. "Un coche está estacionado en la calle." This could also mean "one" car is parked, etc.

A girl is getting into the car. "Una muchacha sube al coche." This could also mean "one" girl is getting--etc.

There are cases such as Falda Escocesa pointed out where the indefinite article is not used. but I believe you wanted to see how the gender is applied when you do use it. Please leave a comment below so that I may be sure that I have addressed your question properly.

Un chico es suficiente. - annierats, Jun 6, 2015

Answer 2

This can be difficult.

Only the other day, on a visit to see my husband in hospital, I happened to get into the lift with a kind-looking Spanish woman who asked which floor I wanted. I asked her:¿ should it be El uno o la una?

She laughed and said she had never considered the matter but, yes, La una, referring to LA planta... Then she said I spoke good Spanish and I nearly fainted from happiness , right there in the hospital lift.

What we in the US call the "first floor" in Spanish-speaking countries is referred to as "la planta baja." Our second floor is "el primer piso" --third floor, "segundo piso" and so forth. That's why the difference in the gender of the articles. - Daniela2041, Jun 6, 2015

In the UK we speak of ground floor, then first floor (what in America is second floor)... - Faldaesque, Jun 6, 2015

Answer 3

While I bow to Dani's obvious mastery of Spanish, it seems to me that Spanish sometimes drops the indefinite article where English would not, yet might take it up again in order to reflect the fact that the speaker means to emphasise they have one (as opposed to two or three) of something. For example:

• Tengo coche = I have a car (no article in Spanish)...
• Tengo un coche y dos motos = I have one car and two motorbikes...

I think I've got this right, but maybe Dani would be kind enough to clarify

The questioner only asked about the gender of the article, which I answered. You have introduced and handled another matter quite well. - Daniela2041, Jun 6, 2015

There's a disconnect between title & actual question, & it's the actual question itself that introduced the point that I tried to address... ;-) - Faldaesque, Jun 6, 2015

In my answer I stated that there is N O difference between "one" and "a" and the gender will agree with the article. If the questioner would only get back and let us know, then we will know. Check my edit. - Daniela2041, Jun 6, 2015

Aye, but the question has nothing to do with gender, only whether the article is used as a bare article or as a counting unit... - Faldaesque, Jun 6, 2015

The questioner gives their Spanish level as 'intermediate' by the way, quantum valeat... ;-) - Faldaesque, Jun 6, 2015

My question was, and still is, when (if ever) you use the numeral one ("uno") in conversation. I understand the articles, (un, una, los, las, etc.) match gender. Sorry if I confused you - afelts, Jun 6, 2015

In my native language, English, "There is a car parked on the street" is not the same as saying "There is one car parked on the street". "A car" does not indicate the specific quantity, only that at least 1 car is parked on the street. - afelts, Jun 6, 2015

Living in S. America, I have 'Street-Spanish' conversational & reading skills...but want to improve - afelts, Jun 6, 2015

example...at the airport when I am complaing that 1 suitcase is missing,..Me había registrado dos maletas, ahora sólo tengo (uno/una?) - afelts, Jun 6, 2015

Una... - Faldaesque, Jun 6, 2015