Spanish Indefinite Article - un, una, unos, unas


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Artículo indefinido

The aptly named indefinite article indicates an unspecific or unidentified noun.

Por ejemplo…

Veo a una gata y a un perro.		I see a cat and a dog.
Tiene una idea.		He has an idea.

Used with countable nouns (as opposed to uncountable nouns like money and water)
Placed directly in front of a noun or an adjective + noun
Agree with the noun in number and sometimes gender

+ There are two singular articles, each of which can mean a, an, or one:

+ Likewise, there are two plural indefinite articles. Both are equivalent to "some":

You can use indefinite articles in front of unnamed, unidentified, or unspecified nouns, as long as they are countable.

Por ejemplo…

Hay un problema.		There’s a problem. (What problem?)
Una turista resultó herida.		A tourist was wounded. (Who?)

The indefinite article can also refer to just one of something:

Por ejemplo…

Hay un estudiante en la sala.		There is one student in the room.
Tengo solamente una hermana.		I only have one sister.

The plural indefinite article means "some":

Por ejemplo…

Compré unas naranjas.		I bought some oranges.
Quiero unos libros.		I want some books.

When referring to a person’s profession, the indefinite article is not used in Spanish, although it is used in English.

Por ejemplo…

Soy profesor.		I am a teacher.
Ana quiere ser médica.		Ana wants to be a doctor.

Think you’ve got it? Test yourself on Spanish articles with these fill-in-the-blanks exercises:

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