Use of definite articles: el & la and los & las 16 July 2023
Dear Kwiziq Lesson Writing Team:
I am uncertain as to when I must (or should) use the definite articles "el/la" or "los/las" when translating from English to Spanish. See following examples from the "Fire Heroes/Héroes del fuego" exercise:
Example 1:
"...protect buildings and save lives in danger"
I wrote: "...proteger los edificios y salvar las vidas en peligro."
The Kwiziq answer was: "...proteger edificios y salvar vidas en peligro."
Example 2:
"These professionals protect forests and natural areas..."
I wrote: "Estos profesionales protegen los bosques y las áreas naturales..."
The Kwiziq answer was: "Estos profesionales protegen los bosques y las áreas naturales..."
As you can see, in neither of the English translations is a definite article included.
In Example 1, my use of "los" was accepted, but my use of "las" was not. Upon studying the final Kwiziq translation, I noticed that neither "los" nor "las" had been used in the translation of that phrase. Then in Example 2, I used "los" and "las". To my delight (and surprise) I saw that in the Kwiziq translation "los" and "las" were used as well.
So --- I am confused and uncertain as to WHEN (under what specific circumstances?) is it necessary, appropriate, or customary to use el/la and los/las. I know they must be used at the start of a sentence and (I believe) after some uses of gustar, but what about other circumstances?
Please upload lessons that offer specific examples (and explanations) about when to use these definite articles.
Your attention to this request would be very greatly appreciated.
Regards,
Pati Ecuamiga
No question....just a comment.
This is the kind of exercise I have been searching for! Thank you. By the way, I love your accent. As a beginning Spanish learner, it is easier for me to understand you than some of the other online teachers that I hear. I am curious....is Spanish your native language? I hope that someday I reach your level of fluency:)
Is this expression used only in Spain? I cannot find more information about the usage of this idiom. My teacher has not heard of this either.
Wouldn't it be easier to translate "No tenía más que unas monedas en el bolsillo." to "He didn't have more than a few coins in his pocket." rather than "He only had a few coins in his pocket."? This type of translation would work for the "más que +noun" instances.
Can "No tienes más que decirlo y yo estaré allí para ayudarte." be translated to "You don't have to say anything more than it/that and I will be there to help you." rather than "You just have to say it and I will be there to help you."?
"dentro del seno de una familia catolica, (etc)" = within the bosom of a catholic family. Why pare down the literary parts to just the basic meaning of "to a catholic family (etc)"? The "dentro del seno" seems to indicate that he was born into a loving, caring family (O.K. plus wealthy and traditional!). But when we read Cervantes and Shakespeare aren't those literary embellishments what made them classics?
I answered: yo no dije esa palabra. Why is that marked as incorrect
Marta y yo ________ 200 km a la semana para ir a trabajar.
Marta and I travel 200 km a week to go to work.(HINT: Conjugate "hacer" in El Presente)
thus declaring itself the Republic of Paraguay in 1813
The bot offers two possibilities:
1 .. proclamando así la República del Paraguay en 1813.
2 .. proclamándose de este modo la República del Paraguay en 1813.
I put ... proclamándose así la República del Paraguay en 1813. which was marked as an error.
Is there a difference in usage between 'así´ and 'de este modo'
Also, why is it la República del Paraguay but la República de Argentina ?
Gracias
16 July 2023
Dear Kwiziq Lesson Writing Team:
I am uncertain as to when I must (or should) use the definite articles "el/la" or "los/las" when translating from English to Spanish. See following examples from the "Fire Heroes/Héroes del fuego" exercise:
Example 1:
"...protect buildings and save lives in danger"
I wrote: "...proteger los edificios y salvar las vidas en peligro."
The Kwiziq answer was: "...proteger edificios y salvar vidas en peligro."
Example 2:
"These professionals protect forests and natural areas..."
I wrote: "Estos profesionales protegen los bosques y las áreas naturales..."
The Kwiziq answer was: "Estos profesionales protegen los bosques y las áreas naturales..."
As you can see, in neither of the English translations is a definite article included.
In Example 1, my use of "los" was accepted, but my use of "las" was not. Upon studying the final Kwiziq translation, I noticed that neither "los" nor "las" had been used in the translation of that phrase. Then in Example 2, I used "los" and "las". To my delight (and surprise) I saw that in the Kwiziq translation "los" and "las" were used as well.
So --- I am confused and uncertain as to WHEN (under what specific circumstances?) is it necessary, appropriate, or customary to use el/la and los/las. I know they must be used at the start of a sentence and (I believe) after some uses of gustar, but what about other circumstances?
Please upload lessons that offer specific examples (and explanations) about when to use these definite articles.
Your attention to this request would be very greatly appreciated.
Regards,
Pati Ecuamiga
We were told to form an adverb you take the feminine form and add 'mente' so it would effectively be 'Amente' So why does it say fuertamente is wrong, it's fuertEmente?
1Los enamorados se abrazan ________ . Lovers embrace each other tightly.(HINT: Convert "fuerte" into an adverb.)fuertamentefuertementefuertomenteFind your Spanish level for FREE
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