+50 EXAMPLES of determinants in Spanish

The determinants They are a very common type of words in the Spanish language. On many occasions they play such a basic role that, without certain linguistic knowledge, they can be confusing when it comes to their identification. And it is that, those words so short that, a priori, it seems that they do not provide great information to the rest of the sentence, in fact it is the opposite. In fact, determinants are fundamental words in Spanish and they play a very important semantic and pragmatic function in our sentences. Therefore, in a Professor we are going to expose a series of examples of determinants accompanied by a brief explanation of each type of them.

As her name suggests, determinants are words that determine and concretize the nature of the noun. Moreover, we have a degree of variability that occurs depending on the gender and number of the noun they accompany. This obviously means that the determinant must always agree on gender and number with the noun. However, it is said that the determinants update the noun and provide information of possession, gender, number or spatial place in which it is found.

Therefore, and taking everything into account, it would be strange for us to say “the car ", since the article the (as we will see, the articles are determinative) would be feminine plural while the noun car it is conceived as masculine plural. In addition, within this group of words we find several important types defined according to their function and their effect on the noun.

Eye! It's very common confuse determiners with adverbs, despite the fact that both types of words are very different both in their form and function. Knowing that the determinants (this, that, the, the, all, his, etc.) are words in charge of accompanying and specifying the noun, the great difference that these have with adverbs (very, quite, more, here, far, etc.) is that the latter perform the same function, but with the verb.

However, and finally, there is a much more common error regarding the determinants, and it is time to differentiate them from pronouns. For this we must bear in mind that the pronouns (I, you, she, me, hers, what, etc.) always go alone, while the determiners, as we already know, accompany the noun or name. Therefore, the determiner accompanies the noun and the pronoun replaces it.

The articles they are the first type of determinant that we will see. These are responsible for providing certain values ​​to the noun: they tell us if the name is known or unknown to the speaker, as well as its gender and number. In relation to this we have two subtypes known as determined and indeterminate:

• Determined items (the noun they accompany is known to the speaker): the
• Indeterminate articles (expresses some ignorance about the noun): one, one, one, one

Regarding the specific articles, let us remember that the masculine singular the preceded by prepositions to or from is modified by to the or of the respectively.

Examples of articles

• The dog passed in front of the home.
• A Carla's friend has a same car.
• The boys passed by nails stores.
• The Juan's cousins ​​have the curly hair.

Very briefly we will say about the demonstrative determinants which are used to influence the physical distance (closeness or distance) that exists between the interlocutor and the person, animal or object that defines this demonstrative. Thus, we can divide them into three main subtypes:

• Proof of proximity: this this these these
• ­Medium distance demonstrations: that, that, those, those
• Demonstrative distance: That one those ones

Examples of demonstratives

• East it's not my glass.
• The truth is that that afternoon we had a great time.
• That cat runs very fast.
• Are t-shirts are very expensive, those Also, but those They are at a very good price.

These determinants are the ones used in the exclamatory sentences and questions (direct and indirect). They are identified, above all, with the use of the accent in all the words included in this type of determinant. Also, they are the same for both types of sentences, and they are:

• that
• how many
• how much
• how many
• how many
• which
• which
• who
• Who

Examples of exclamatory and interrogative determiners

• ¿How many how old are you
• ¡That how hot it is!
• I dont know who Is your friend.
• ¡How many there are flowers by the road!

Image: Language 3.0

The undefined determinants they reflect an imprecise or inaccurate amount of the noun. Within this type we find many determinants. Among them we highlight:

One, one, some, some, some, some, none, none, little, few, few, few, few, ...

Examples of undefined determinants

• Some afternoons we spent by the river.
• I'd tell you a joke, but I don't remember none.
• Few things I have to tell you about this trip.
• I didn't tell you anything because they called me nails friends.