Use of article

Pati E.C1Kwiziq Q&A regular contributor

Use of article

My question is about the quiz item: "El niño rubio con pantalones cortos es mi hermano."

Why was the article "los" not used before pantalones cortos? [e.g., El niño con los pantalones cortos es mi hermano.] An extension of my question here is that sometimes I notice a definite article is inserted while other times it is not. Therefore, what is the rule for using definite articles (los/las) in sentences of this type.

Saludos,

Pati E.

Asked 4 years ago
InmaNative Spanish expert teacher in KwiziqCorrect answer

Hola Pati

the presence or omission of the definite article is often to do with being specific or general, so this sentence could have used the article "los" too. If we omit it, it gives the words "pantalones cortos" more of a general meaning, while using the article would imply some precision, so we would be thinking about some specific shorts, the ones we are seeing right at the moment of speaking. 

Saludos

Inma

Pati E. asked:

Use of article

My question is about the quiz item: "El niño rubio con pantalones cortos es mi hermano."

Why was the article "los" not used before pantalones cortos? [e.g., El niño con los pantalones cortos es mi hermano.] An extension of my question here is that sometimes I notice a definite article is inserted while other times it is not. Therefore, what is the rule for using definite articles (los/las) in sentences of this type.

Saludos,

Pati E.

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