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Indefinite articles

• Forms
• Uses

The indefinite articles in English are the words "a" or "an," and in the plural "some," "a few," or "several." Spanish also has four words for this article: un, una, unos, and unas. This section is closely related to the section on nouns, and the two categories should be studied together for a complete view of the subject.

Forms

Spanish has four forms of the indefinite article, corresponding to the singular and plural of masculine and feminine nouns.

Singular --> Plural:

• un (fusil) --> unos (fusiles)
• una (batalla) --> unas (batallas)

Uses

• The indefinite article translates the word "a" or "an," and in the plural "some," "a few" or "several."
  
  • Tengo una cuenta corriente. (I have a bank account.)
  • Me quedan unas monedas. (I have a few coins left.)
    
• The articles are used with the gender and number of their corresponding nouns, with one exception. When feminine nouns begin with a stressed a or ha in the singular they take the masculine indefinite article.
  
  • un ala, unas alas (a wing, some wings)
  • un alba, unas albas (a dawn, some dawns)
  • un hambre, unas hambres (a hunger, some hungers)
    
• The article is not used after ser with unmodified professions, occupations, nationalities, religions, etc.
  
  • Ellos son ingenieros. (They are engineers.)
  • Ellas son guatemaltecas. (They are Guatemalan.)
  • Es católico. (He is a Catholic.)
    
    But...
    
  • Es un buen católico. (He is a good Catholic.)
    
• It is omitted before the numbers cien, ciento, and mil, before otro/a, medio/a and cierto/a, and before tal (such a) and ¡qué...! (what a...!)
  
  • Vinieron cien espectadores. (A hundred spectators came.)
  • ¿No tienes otro? (Don't you have another one?)
  • Nunca he visto tal cosa. (I've never seen such thing.)
  • ¡Qué vergüenza! (What a shame!)
    

Related topics:

Definite articles
Nouns