Romance Languages Vocabulary Lists: Articles & Demonstratives
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| English |
French |
Italian |
Spanish |
Portuguese |
| Definite article |
|
|
|
|
| the (masculine) |
le / l' |
il / lo / l' |
el |
o |
| the (feminine) |
la / l' |
la / l' |
la |
a |
| the (masc. plural) |
les |
i / gli |
los |
os |
| the (fem. plural) |
les |
le |
las |
as |
| |
|
|
|
|
| indefinite article |
|
|
|
|
| a / an (masculine) |
un |
un |
un |
um |
| a / an (feminine) |
une |
una / un' |
una |
uma |
| some (masc. plural) |
des |
dei / degli |
unos |
uns |
| some (fem. plural) |
des |
delle |
unas |
umas |
| |
|
|
|
|
| Demonstrative adjectives |
|
|
|
| this (masculine) |
ce / cet ... -ci |
questo / quest' |
este |
êste |
| this (feminine) |
cette ... -ci |
questa / quest' |
esta |
êsta |
| these (masculine) |
ces ... -ci |
questi |
estos |
êstes |
| these (feminine) |
ces ... -ci |
queste |
estas |
êstas |
| |
|
|
|
|
| that (masculine) |
ce / cet ... -là |
quel / quello / quel' |
ese |
êsse |
| that (feminine) |
cette ... -là |
quella / quell' |
esa |
êssa |
| those (masculine) |
ces ... -là |
quei / quegli |
esos |
êsses |
| those (feminine) |
ces ... -là |
quelle |
esas |
êssas |
| |
|
|
|
|
| that [further away] (masculine) |
ce / cet ... -là |
quel / quello / quel' |
aquel |
aquele |
| that [further away] (feminine) |
cette ... -là |
quella / quell' |
aquella |
aquela |
| those [further away] (masculine) |
ces ... -là |
quei / quegli |
aquellos |
aqueles |
| those [further away] (feminine) |
ces ... -là |
quelle |
aquellas |
aquelas |
| |
|
|
|
|
| Demonstrative Pronouns |
|
|
|
| this (masculine) |
celui-ci |
questo |
éste |
êste |
| this (feminine) |
celle-ci |
questa |
ésta |
êsta |
| these (masculine) |
ceux-ci |
questi |
éstos |
êstes |
| these (feminine) |
celles-ci |
queste |
éstas |
êstas |
| |
|
|
|
|
| that (masculine) |
celui-là |
quello |
ése |
êsse |
| that (feminine) |
celle-là |
quella |
ésa |
êssa |
| those (masculine) |
ceux-là |
quelli |
ésos |
êsses |
| those (feminine) |
celles-là |
quelle |
ésas |
êssas |
| |
|
|
|
|
| that [further away] (masculine) |
celui-là |
quello |
aquél |
aquele |
| that [further away] (feminine) |
celle-là |
quella |
aquélla |
aquela |
| those [further away] (masculine) |
ceux-là |
quelli |
aquéllos |
aqueles |
| those [further away] (feminine) |
celles-là |
quelle |
aquéllas |
aquelas |
- French and Italian forms that end in an apostrophe (such as l' or quest') are used directly before words beginning with a vowel.
- Italian definite articles: il is used with most masculine nouns, but lo is used before nouns beginning with z, gn, ps, or s + consonant. The plural form of il is i, while the plural form of lo and l' is gli.
- A neuter form of the Spanish definite article also exists: lo It is used to make adjectives into nouns that exist as concepts or categories, such as lo importante - what is important.
- French and Italian technically do not have the plural indefinite articles comparable to Spanish and Portuguese. However, to express the some + plural noun , you can use the forms above in bold italics. In Italian, dei is used before most plural nouns beginning with a consonant, while degli is used before plural nouns beginning with a vowel, or z, gn, ps, or s + consonant.
- French demonstrative adjectives: ce is used before masculine nouns beginning with a consonant, while cet is used before masculine nouns beginning with a vowel or h. The forms -ci and -là are added to the end of the noun to indicate the difference in distance (this vs. that, these vs. those).
- Italian demonstrative adjectives: the forms of quel- follow the same pattern as for the definite articles.
- Spanish and Portuguese have three sets of demonstratives because they make the distinction between here (this, these), there (that, those) and even further over there / away (that, those). This last form no longer exists in English, French or Italian.
- Spanish and Portuguese also have neuter demonstrative pronouns that do not replace nouns, but rather refer to a previous statement: esto / eso / aquello in Spanish and isto / isso / aquilo in Portuguese.
- Notice that the Spanish demonstrative adjectives and pronouns only differ because of the accent mark on the e's and the Portuguese forms are identical.
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