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"Nothing" is a form of "nothing", a pronoun which is often translated as "nada". "The" is a definite article which is often translated as "el". Learn more about the difference between "the" and "nothing" below.
the(
thuh
)A definite article is a word that identifies a noun as specific or known to the speaker (e.g., the girl).
1. (general)
c. los (plural, masculine)
I like all the dresses in the store.Me gustan todos los vestidos de la tienda.
nothing(
nuh
-
thihng
)A pronoun is a word that stands in for a noun (e.g., she).
a. nada
There's nothing else we can do.No hay nada más que podamos hacer.
They were left with nothing after the earthquake.El terremoto los dejó sin nada.
A noun is a word referring to a person, animal, place, thing, feeling, or idea (e.g., man, dog, house).
a. el cero a la izquierda (M)
(m) means that a noun is masculine. Spanish nouns have a gender, which is either feminine (like la mujer or la luna) or masculine (like el hombre or el sol).
Don't bother with him. He's a nothing.No te molestes con él. Es un cero a la izquierda.
An adverb is a word that describes a verb, an adjective, or other adverbs (e.g., to run quickly, very tired).
6. (in no way)
a. nada
The weather in Houston is nothing like what I expected.El clima de Houston no es nada parecido a lo que esperaba.
