Using and Omitting the Definite Article

You may have noticed that when some foreigners speak English, they use the word "the" when they shouldn't, and vice versa. And English speakers often do the equivalent when attempting Spanish. It's no wonder: The rules about when to use or not use the definite article often seem arbitrary. In this lesson, you can learn when the use the definite articles of Spanish — el, la, los and las — or leave them out.