「冠詞」は英語で「article」といいます。
The words 'the' and 'an' are called articles.
「The」と「an」という言葉は冠詞と呼ばれています。
Do I need to use an article here?
ここでは冠詞を使わないといけませんか。
「The」は定冠詞と呼ばれています。
「定冠詞」は英語で「definite article」といいます。
「Definite」は英語で「限定的な」という意味の形容詞です。
You need to use a definite article here.
ここでは定冠詞を使う必要があります。
Does this noun take the definite article?
この名詞は定冠詞を取りますか。
「A」と「an」は不定冠詞です。
「不定冠詞」は「indefinite article」といいます。
接頭辞の「in-」は「不」という意味を表します。
Should I use a definite article or an indefinite article here?
ここでは定冠詞を使うべきですか、不定冠詞を使うべきですか。
Don’t worry about not knowing what to call these words - most native English speakers don’t!
A is called the indefinite article because ‘a car’ could mean any car in the world - so it isn’t definite.
The is called The definite article because it refers to a specific thing: for example, ‘the car’. You would use ‘the’ to talk about a specific car: for example, ‘where have you parked the car?’.
Native speakers will say like this: “I have a phone call” / "I love apples!" / "I am reading the book about the history of the USA".
There are lots of other ways to say it, but this one is the most accurate and most commonly used.
Here is an example on how to use this in a conversation:
A: What are you doing right now?
B: I'm reading a book.
The words 'a', 'an', and 'the' are all determiners. In English, a determiner is a word that introduces a noun. The rule regarding a determiner is that it comes before a noun in and not after in a sentence. In addition, it comes before any other adjectives used to describe a noun. It is a requirement that you should use a determiner before a single noun but it becomes optional when introducing a plural noun.
Here are some examples:
A snake bit him. (deteminer required)
The boy goes to school everyday. (deteminer required)
Children go to school everyday. (deteminer not required)
The children have gone to school. (deteminer optional)
The determiner 'an' is used when introducing a noun whose name starts with a vowel such 'apple'.
You may say:
Please give me 'an' apple.
I want an apple.
Apples have been loaded onto the truck. (plural)
The apples have been loaded onto the truck. (deteminer optional)
Indefinite articles (a, an) specifies one thing and will not be used with nouns that are not countable. i.e, a chair or an apple
Definite article (the) is used to describe something specific for example, This is the book.
In English, we use two types of articles: Definite and indefinite. They can be confusing for people learning English, whose language doesn't have these articles. Japanese does not have articles. In other languages, they have a gender which can be confusing for English speakers as we must remember the gender of the object and then it must agree in gender and number with the noun. Fortunately English doesn't have this complication. Just with plural nouns, we must remember to make the article plural.
"Don't forget the article before the word as it is important"
"The definite article is called "the" and the indefinite article is called "a" "
Words like, "a," "an," and, "the," are what we consider as, "Articles," but there are differences between that articles as well. The word, "the," is considered a, "definite article," as it is describing a noun that is very specific within the context of the conversation. Words like, "a," and, "an," are considered, "indefinite articles," because they are unspecifically referring to an object/noun.
Words like "a", "an" and "the" are called ARTICLES.
"The" is used to refer to a specific thing. For example; you may say: The car got into an accident a month after she bought it.
"A" and "an" are usually used to refer to a general thing. For example, you may say: I want a car with the latest technology. I want an orange BMW.