Articles
There exist three types of articles - undefinite article, definite article and absence of article.
Type | Singular | Plural |
Undefinite article | a [y] / an [en] | - |
Definite article | the [d] / the [dí] | the [d] / the [dí] |
Absence of article | - | - |
Indefinite article - a [y] / an [en]
The difference between articles a/an is in the beginning letter of the following adjective or noun. If the word starts with a consonant (k, l, m, p ...), there is used "a". If the word starts with a vowel (a, e, i, o, u, y), there is used "an".
a garden, a beautiful garden, a house, an apple
But be careful! This rule is set only for pronunciation and not for actual written form of the word. Therefore we can write: a universe [y junivers], a university [y juniversity], an hour [en áur]
Use of the indefinite article
- we speak about the thing for the first time (My friend has a house. My friend has a dog.) The most of articles are not usually translated. In some of these cases you can use "some" instead of indefinite article.
- speaking about professions and jobs in general (becoming someone)
I want to be a teacher. She wants to be a doctor. He wants to a dentist.
- with the phrases „there is / there are“
There is a new table in the room.
- in phrases
- to have a headache / cold / good time
- to go for a walk
Definite article - the [d] / the [dí]
The difference between the [d] / the [dí] is the same as between a /an.
Use of the definite article
- when we speak about a thing which is already known to us or we speak about it for the second time ...
I have a sister. The sister is very pretty.
- in the connection with preposition „of“
the centre of the city
- the superlative adjectives
the most beautiful, the prettiest, the best, the biggest
- ordinal numbers
the first, the second, the third, the fourth
- with the unique thing or person
the Queen, the Sun, the Moon, the sky, the Earth
- with the nouns which mark families or groups of people
the Nováks
- the cardinal points
the north, the south, the east, the west
- everything connected with water (except lake)
the spring, the river, the sea, the ocean, ...
- in the phrases
the day before yesterday
in the morning, in the afternoon, in the evening
What is the time?
in the city, in the country
Absence of Article
There is put no article at all.
Absence of article is used in these cases
- with proper nouns
Peter, Adam
- continents and states (except The Czech Republic, the UK, the USA)
Asia, Europe, Africa, Canada, France
- hills and lakes
- abstract things
water, air
- phrases
go to bed / work / school / sea
go home / come home / arrive home / be at home
go to work /be at work / go to sea / be at sea / start work / finish work
- with the words – school, university, prison, hospital, church
all night, at noon, over night, tomorrow night, yesterday night