‘The’ words:
el,
la,
los,
las
(examples adapted from examples at thought co and elsewhere.)
Cases where Spanish doesn’t use the definite article while English
does:
Luis tercero – Luis the Third
Carlos segundo – Carlos the Second
Camarón que se duerme ... – The shrimp that falls asleep ...
Perro que ladra no muerde – The dog that barks doesn’t bite
Las Vegas, ciudad que no duerme – Las Vegas, the city that
doesn’t sleep
A largo plazo – in the long term (time)
En alta mar – on the high seas
Cases where you do not use the article in English but you need it
in Spanish:
Voy a la tienda el lunes – I’m going to shop on Monday
Voy a la tienda los lunes – I go to shop on Mondays
La semana pasada – last week
Es las dos y media – It’s two-thirty
Prefiero los veranos – I prefer summers
Me gusta la felicidad – I like happiness
Vendemos la mesa y la silla – We’re selling the table and
chair
Los americanos hablan inglés – Americans speak English
Hablo bien el inglés – I speak English well
El amarillo es mi color favorito – Yellow is my favourite
colour
Me gusta las matemáticas – I like mathematics
¡Abre los ojos! – Open your eyes!
Perdió el sombrero – He lost his hat
El fumar está prohibido – Smoking is prohibited
el Reino Unido – United Kingdom
Voy al España soleada – I’m going to sunny Spain
Vive en la Plaza Acebo – He lives in Holly Square
El señor Garcia está en casa – Mr. Garcia is at home
El monte Ararat – mount Ararat
En el espacio – in space
En la televisión – on television
As ‘rules’ ...
Cases where Spanish doesn’t use the definite article while English
does:
- Before ordinal numbers for names of rulers and similar people.
- Some proverbs (or statements made in a proverbial fashion) omit
the article.
- When used in a nonrestrictive apposition, the article is often
omitted.
- Various idiomatic cases.
Cases where you do not use the article in English but you need it
in Spanish:
- Days of the Week, time
- Seasons of the Year
- With More Than One Noun
- With Generic Nouns
- With Names of Languages (except when used with language verbs,
e.g., hablar)
- With Body Parts and Personal Items
- With Infinitives as Subjects
- With Some Location Names, languages
- With Personal Titles
- Various idiomatic cases.