The use of Spanish articles

Question

Hi,

I was wondering why certain Spanish words always need to have an article preceding them. For example, 'sociedad' always seems to need to be written as 'la sociedad', or 'nuestra sociedad' in some cases. Please explain!

Thanks!

It's a good question, but you will get a better response to this and future questions if you fill out the language levels on your profile page. - AnnRon, May 15, 2016

Answer 1

"Sociedad" is an "etablished entity" so the article is required. When we use word before it, such as "nuestra / ajena / vieja / etc", it takes the place of the article.

For the same reason, we use articles for university studies, ie: las ciencias, las matemáticas, etc.

And then there are cases when we use the article just as used in English to establish something specific.

There also may be cases when article use is better memorized such as "el sol", but this can actually be explained as "the sun" being the only sun that humans have, so we use the definite article.

Answer 2

In many cases the use of the article is the same in Spanish and English. However, one of the key differences between Spanish and English is that Spanish normally uses the article in front of generic nouns, which English does not. A generic noun is one that is regarding a general concept or a group as a whole. When it is a group rather than concept, English will sometimes pluralize.

El oso pardo es grande y feroz. Grizzly bears are large and ferocious.

La sociedad es un sistema complejo que...

Society is a complex system...

but

When you add nuestra- you are no longer talking about something generic- it is now ours, as opposed to any other.

La sociedad español es una sociedad en la que...

Spanish society is one in which...

Here I needed the definitive article in Spanish but not English, as I spoke of the Spanish society as a whole, but used the indefinite when I was not speaking of societies as a whole, rather describing a specific one. Which matches what English does with the indefinite.

Here is a reference on the definite article, the part I quote so from page 2.

http://spanish.about.com/cs/grammar/a/use_def_art.htm

With generic nouns: These are nouns that refer to a concept or to a substance in general or a member of a class in general, rather than a specific one (where the article would be required in both languages). No preferiría el despotismo. (I wouldn't prefer despotism.) Esto es la realidad de la vida.(This is the reality of life.) El trigo es nutritivo. (Wheat is nutritious.) Los americanos son ricos. (Americans are rich.) Los derechistas no deben votar. (Right-wingers ought not to vote.) Escogí la cristianidad. (I chose Christianity.) Exception: The article is often omitted after the preposition de, especially when the noun following de serves to describe the first noun and doesn't refer to a specific person or thing.Los zapatos de hombres (men's shoes), but los zapatos de los hombres (the shoes of the men). Dolor de muela (toothache in general), but dolor de la muela (a toothache in a particular tooth).

Answer 3

There are words that need the article preceding them, in order to know the sex of the peolple/animal. Example: The teacher (La maestra for female, El maestro for male) The dog (La perra for female, El perro for male) There are words that doesn't imply male or female, but are called using certain article, for example: Pásame/dame el sartén para hacer la cena (Hand me over the iron, in order to make the dinner) or La estufa esta sucia (the stove is dirty)
Hope I help you