español · A1 · grammar · 4 minutes
El, la, los, and las
Learn every noun together with the article that unlocks agreement.
Understand the choice
Treat the article as part of a noun, not as decoration. Learning la mesa and el sofá together stores the noun's grammatical gender and prepares every adjective and pronoun that refers to it.
Core rule: Spanish singular nouns normally carry a gendered article: el for masculine and la for feminine; plural forms are los and las.
Notice it in context
La mesa y el sofá están en la sala.
The table and the sofa are in the living room.
Mesa is feminine with la; sofá is masculine with el despite ending in -a.
El problema está en la cocina.
The problem is in the kitchen.
Problema is masculine even though it ends in -a.
Las fotos están sobre los libros.
The photos are on the books.
Las and los show both gender and plural number.
What to remember
- Endings are useful clues, but the article confirms gender more reliably.
- Learn exceptions as complete chunks, such as el día, el mapa, and la mano.
Common trap: Do not assume every noun ending in -a is feminine or every noun ending in -o is masculine; common exceptions must be learned with their article.