"La" or "El"

[Ember]

How can I determine whether to use "La" or "El"?

[Rusty]

These are the feminine and masculine definite articles. They are the equivalent of the word 'the' in English.
All Spanish nouns have a gender, but that is an unfortunate term. It's sometimes better to just think in terms of what 'type' a noun is. There are two types of nouns. One type uses 'la' and the other type uses 'el'.
Any dictionary will tell you which gender/type is appropriate for a word that has a specific meaning.

There are also indefinite articles. They are 'una' (feminine) and 'un' (masculine). These correspond to the English 'a' (or 'an' before words that begin with a vowel sound).

There are plural forms for all of these articles, as well.

Definite Articles

{||}Gender | Singular | Plural
{|}Masculine | el | los
{|}Feminine | la | las

Indefinite Articles

{||}Gender | Singular | Plural
{|}Masculine | un | unos
{|}Feminine | una | unas


Notice I didn't capitalize the articles. That is only done if they begin a sentence.

Hope that helps.
Welcome to the forums!

[AMG]

You have to take into account the gender of a word. You know if a word is masculine because most of them end in o, for example, carro, esfero, gorro, etc., with exceptions such as mueble, lápiz, parlante, gas, etc., which are also masculine. With these words you use "el". Most of the words that end in "r" and are preceded with "o" are masculine; for example: asador, contador, comunicador, etc.
With feminine words you use "la". These words can be identified because they end in "a", for example, casa, Cortina, silla, etc., but there are many exceptions, such as, salud, luz, llave, etc.
Also, there are words that end in "a" but they are masculine, such as agua, planeta, etc.
And there are words ended in "o" and they're feminine, such as moto, mano, etc.
For more information you could visit:
http://babelnet.sbg.ac.at/carlitos/ayuda/sustantivos.htm
http://forum.thefreedictionary.com/postst1289_sustantivos-masculinos-terminados-en-a.aspx
I hope this helps.

[Rusty]

Caution, 'agua' is not masculine. When used in the singular form, it's true that it takes the masculine article, but that is only for euphony's sake. Any adjectives used to modify 'agua' always take the feminine ending.

[AMG]

Oh, yes. That's true. :D Thanks.

[Michael Visser]

El is the singular, masculine definite article (the word for "the"), while la is the feminine version. But there are exceptions that you just have to memorize. But there is one instance where el is used with feminine nouns.

[Destarte]

You have to take into account the gender of a word. You know if a word is masculine because most of them end in o, for example, carro, esfero, gorro, etc., with exceptions such as mueble, lápiz, parlante, gas, etc., which are also masculine. With these words you use "el". Most of the words that end in "r" and are preceded with "o" are masculine; for example: asador, contador, comunicador, etc.
With feminine words you use "la". These words can be identified because they end in "a", for example, casa, Cortina, silla, etc., but there are man, y exceptions, such as, salud, luz, llave, etc.
Also, there are words that end in "a" but they are masculine, such as agua, planeta, etc.
And there are words ended in "o" and they're feminine, such as moto, mano, etc.
For more information you could visit:
http://babelnet.sbg.ac.at/carlitos/ayuda/sustantivos.htm
http://forum.thefreedictionary.com/postst1289_sustantivos-masculinos-terminados-en-a.aspx
I hope this helps.


:?: any word that ends in ción is also consider as feminine right? like habitación, dirección?

[AMG]

:?: any word that ends in ción is also consider as feminine right? like habitación, dirección?

OMG, you're teaching me Spanish, Anabelle. I haven't realized that!!!! Seriously, I can't believe that you discovered this before I did. That's a great point. You're totally right.

I put more examples: canción, poción, devoción, aclaración, determinación, decisión, conjunción, intención, reparación, noción, etc.
And I just realized that not only the words that end in ción, but also in sión.

More examples: pasión, misión, comisión, colisión, mansión, asociación, asunción, atención, afección, aversión, aviación, amonestación, agresión, acción, agrupación, composición, compulsión, conexión, condición, conducción, corporación, ilusión, visión, misión, (digestión), fracción, fricción, expansión, habitación, inyección, insolación, desolación, inflexión, ok, etc. etc.
There are also palabras agudas that don't end in ción or sión and are feminine, such as agonía, complexión, elegía, dinastía, etc.
You can consult here all the palabras agudas here: http://www.scribd.com/doc/14059896/Palabras-Agudas-listado This page is awesome :D

I realized one more think: that most of the words with this features are also very similar in English :D:D

Thank you, thank you, thank you :D:D:D:D

[AngelicaDeAlquezar]

Look out! "Agonía", "elegía", "dinastía"... are not "palabras agudas" (words that are stressed at the last syllable), but "palabras graves" (words that are stressed at the second syllable, counting from the last one).

[AMG]

Look out! "Agonía", "elegía", "dinastía"... are not "palabras agudas" (words that are stressed at the last syllable), but "palabras graves" (words that are stressed at the second syllable, counting from the last one).

Ok, yeeessss, I forgot about that. What's its name? Hiato? I think.

Thanks, Angélica :D:D
I'm learning Spanish, yeeaahhh!

[pjt33]

I realized one more thing: that most of the words with this features are also very similar in English
They're derived from Latin past participles and have entered English via French.

[AMG]

They're derived from Latin past participles and have entered English via French.

Ok, thank you :D A new thing I know about English