las
Lemma Details
Translation: the
Part of Speech: article
Etymology: Las is the feminine plural form of the definite article in Spanish. It derives from Latin 'illas', which was the accusative feminine plural form of the demonstrative pronoun 'ille' (that). Over time, 'illas' was shortened to 'las' in Spanish. This evolution parallels how English 'the' developed from Old English 'þe' or 'se', though the Spanish form retains gender and number distinctions that English has lost.
Commonality: 100%
Guessability: 70%
Register: neutral
Mnemonics
- Think of 'las' as the plural of 'la' (adding an 's' makes it plural, just like in English)
- Remember that 'las' is used with feminine plural nouns by associating it with the English word 'lasses' (young women)
Cultural Context
As a definite article, 'las' is used constantly in Spanish. Unlike English, Spanish requires articles before most nouns, making it one of the most frequently used words in the language. It's used before feminine plural nouns, which includes many categories of objects, concepts, and groups of people.
Easily Confused With
Explanation: 'Las' is the feminine plural definite article, while 'los' is the masculine plural definite article.
Confused word:
Los niños juegan en el parque.
The boys play in the park.
Notes: In Spanish, the article must match the gender and number of the noun it modifies.
Mnemonic: Las is for feminine words (like lasses), los is for masculine words.
Explanation: 'Las' is plural, while 'la' is singular, though both are feminine.
This word:
Las casas son blancas.
The houses are white.
Confused word:
La casa es blanca.
The house is white.
Notes: The difference between 'las' and 'la' is simply plurality.
Mnemonic: Las has an 's' for plural, just like in English.