Pitman's Commercial Spanish Grammar (2nd ed.)Lesson II. (Lección segunda.) The Article (contd.)The definite article El is contracted with the preposition de (of or from) into Del and with the preposition A, into al as -- Del extranjero: Of or from the foreigner. Al caballero español: To the Spanish gentleman. These are the only contractions that occur in Spanish; with the other prepositions the article simply follows, as -- By, for, with, in, on, without, behind, the father: The following are the principal cases in which the definite article is used in Spanish and not in English -- 1. Before nouns taken in a general sense, as -- El oro y la plata: Gold and silver. 2. Before titles denoting dignity and profession,[13] as -- El Señor Fulano: Mr. So-and-So. The only exception is "Don" (Mr.), only used before Christian names, as Don Francisco (Mr. Francis). 3. Generally before each of several nouns following each other when they are material possessions, as -- La casa y el jardín de mi hijo: My son's[14] house and garden. But -- La diligencia, devoción, y virtud de mi primo: the diligence, devotion and virtue of my cousin. 4. Before a proper noun qualified by an adjective, as -- El valiente Juan: Brave John.[15] The following are the principal cases in which the indefinite article is used in English and not in Spanish -- 1. Before a noun following the verb "to be," or other similar verbs, as -- Es capitán[16]: He is a captain. 2. After "what" used in exclamations, as: Qué hermosa vista: What a fine view! 3. Before "hundred" and "thousand": 100 -- ciento, 1,000 -- mil. Footnote 13: Except when vocative, viz., calling a person or as an exclamation. Footnote 14: The 's = possessive does not exist in Spanish. "My son's house" must always be translated as "the house of my son." Footnote 15: Except when vocative, viz., calling a person or as an exclamation. Footnote 16: Except, of course, when we particularize, as -- Es un capitán que conocí en Paris: He is a captain I knew in Paris. |