Amadeo Rodgers

- singular | plural - LaLasFeminine - El LosMasculine

 Most nouns that end in (-o) are masculine  Most nouns that end in (-a) are feminine  Spanish nouns that end in (-e) or a consonant must be learned as masculine or feminine.

 The definite article always has to match the gender and number of its noun.  If the noun is feminine and singular (salsa), then its article also has to be feminine and singular (la salsa).  If that same noun becomes plural (salsas) the article also becomes plural (las salsas).

 El libro está en la mesa. - The book is on the table.  La literatura española es muy interesante. - Spanish literature is very interesting.  Me gusta ir al cine los viernes. - I like to go to the movie theater on Fridays.  Son las cinco y cuarto de la tarde. - It is five fifteen in the afternoon.

 When a feminine and singular noun begins with a stressed á, a, or ha, the masculine definite article is used instead, to aide in pronunciation. When the same noun is plural, the regular feminine article is used.

 singular | plural  una unas Feminine  un unos Masculine

 To describe a person using a noun - Mi hermano es un genio. (My brother is a genius.) - Los bomberos son unos héroes. (Firemen are heroes.)

 To describe an amount of something - Quiero una manzana. (I want an apple.) - Tengo unas cincuenta dolares. (I have about fifty dollars.) - Compró unos perros calientes. (He bought a few hot dogs.)

 To describe an unknown amount of something - ¿Hay arañas en su sótano? (Are there spiders in your basement?) - ¿Hay calabaza en la sopa? (Is there a (any) squash in the soup?)