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QUICK ANSWER
"El" is a form of "el", a definite article which is often translated as "the". "La atleta" is a form of "atleta", a noun which is often translated as "athlete". Learn more about the difference between "el" and "la atleta" below.
el(
ehl
)A definite article is a word that identifies a noun as specific or known to the speaker (e.g., the girl).
el atleta, la atleta(
aht
-
leh
-
tah
)This means that the noun can be masculine or feminine, depending on the gender of the noun it refers to (e.g., el doctor, la doctora).
