un
Lemma Details
Translation: a; an; one
Part of Speech: article
Etymology: Derived from Latin 'unus' meaning 'one'. This is the same Latin root that gave English words like 'unit', 'unite', 'union', and 'unique'. The indefinite article 'un' in Spanish serves the same grammatical function as 'a/an' in English, both stemming from the concept of singularity.
Commonality: 100%
Guessability: 90%
Register: neutral
Mnemonics
- Think of 'un' as the first syllable in 'uno' (one) to remember it means 'a/an'
- The 'u' in 'un' looks like the number '1' when written in a certain style
Synonyms
Example Wordforms
Cultural Context
As in English, the indefinite article is used extensively in everyday Spanish. Unlike English, Spanish has gendered forms (un/una) and plural forms (unos/unas) that must agree with the noun they modify.
Easily Confused With
Explanation: 'Un' is the indefinite article (a/an) while 'el' is the definite article (the). 'Un' is used for introducing something new or nonspecific, while 'el' refers to something specific or already mentioned.
Confused word:
Quiero comprar el coche.
I want to buy the car.
Notes: Remember that 'un' becomes 'una' before feminine nouns, while 'el' becomes 'la'.
Mnemonic: 'Un' starts with 'u' like 'undefined' - it's for things not specifically defined yet.
Explanation: 'Un' is the indefinite article (a/an) while 'uno' is the number one. 'Un' always precedes a noun, while 'uno' typically stands alone as a number.
This word:
Tengo un perro.
I have a dog.
Confused word:
Tengo uno.
I have one.
Notes: 'Uno' drops the 'o' to become 'un' when it functions as an article before masculine nouns.
Mnemonic: 'Un' is shorter because it's attached to another word, while 'uno' stands alone.