Articles
An article is a kind of adjective, such as the and a, that indicates whether the thing being discussed is something specific, nonspecific, or unique.
In Esperanto, there is, strictly speaking, only one kind of article — the definite:
The Definite Article
The definite article indicates that a person or thing has already been mentioned, is common knowledge, is about to be defined, or is otherwise a specific member of a class of similar people or things. In English, the definite article is the. In Esperanto, it’s la:
| Ni trinkas la sangon, ni manĝas la korpon. Saluton, Satano! |
We drink the blood, we eat the body. Hail Satan! (the blood and body of Christ) |
| Ĉu vi scias la vojon al San-Joseo? |
Do you know the way to San Jose? (the best way) |
| Mi estas la viro en la ŝvitejo. |
I’m the man in the box. (the man being punished in the hot box) |
| Akompanu la razkapulojn por kegloludi. |
Take the skinheads bowling. (the ones on my lawn) |
| Karolo la Kalva |
Charles the Bald (as opposed to Charles the Great or Charles the Fat) |
As in English, the definite article can be used to indicate a single, countable noun in general, though it’s more common in English to use plural nouns with no article at all:
| Estas la servisto kiu prenas monon. | It’s the servant who takes money. |
| La feo portas botojn. | Fairies wear boots. |
The definite article is used before a generic noun followed by a proper noun to indicate a unique entity:
| la bando Coil | (the band) Coil |
| la kosma krozŝipo Jamato | (the) space cruiser Yamato |
When followed by an adjective, la can be used alone as a stand-in for a person or thing:
| La via estas la intelekto supera! | Yours is the superior intellect! |
| Mia patrino diris ke mi elektu la plej bonan, kaj vi ne estas tiu. | My mother told me to pick the very best one and you are not it. |
If the person or thing la is standing for is plural, something other than la must be pluralized, or another workaround found:
| Mia patrino diris ke mi elektu la plej bonajn, kaj vi ne estas ili. | My mother told me to pick the very best ones and you are not they. |
| Banala diskuto ĉe nia tablo! Mi sentas min kiel la familio Kardashian! | A vapid discussion at our table! I feel like the Kardashians! |
The same formula is used to express the names of languages, where those languages are associated with a particular ethnic group:
| Vi povus averti ilin ... se vi nur parolus la hovitan. | You could warn them ... if only you spoke Hovitos. |
| Vi ne parolas la anglan, Keto! Vi parolas Esperanton, aŭ ian lingvon, kian ĝemeloj instruas unu al la alia! | You aren't speaking English, Keith! You're speaking Esperanto, or some sort of language that twins teach each other! |
La is often — but not always — used before abstract nouns, depending on the habits of the speaker:
| La feliĉo estas varma pafilo. | Happiness is a warm gun. |
| La libero | Liberty |
| Libereco, egaleco, frateco | Liberté, égalité, fraternité |
La is often — but not always — used to introduce a kinship relation, body part, article of clothing, or other object intimately associated with the speaker:
| Ĉesu tuŝi la filinon. | Stop touching my daughter. |
| Ĉesu tuŝi la genuon. | Stop touching my knee. |
| Ĉesu tuŝi la ĉapelon. | Stop touching my hat. |
| Ĉesu tuŝi la iPhone. | Stop touching my iPhone. |
The Indefinite Articles
The indefinite article indicates that the person or thing being introduced is a nonspecific member of a class of similar people or things.
In Esperanto, any common noun without a definite article is by default indefinite.
| Mi vidas mortintojn. | I see dead people. |
| Plagon al ambaŭ viaj domoj! | A plague o’ both your houses! |
However, there is also a range of indefinite “correlative” words one can use to underscore indefiniteness of identity (iu), type (ia), or quantity (ioma, iom da, or just da):
| Iu ulo koliziis kun mia kotŝirmilo, kaj mi diris al li ‘Fruktu kaj multiĝu’. Sed ne per tiuj vortoj. | Some guy hit my fender, and I told him ‘be fruitful, and multiply.’ But not in those words. |
| Politika diskuto ĉe nia tablo! Mi sentas min kiel iu Kennedy! | A political discussion at our table! I feel like a Kennedy! |
| Ia besteto min mordis. | Some bug bit me. |
| Plaĉus al mi (iom) da pano. | I’d like some bread. |
Note that while the absence of indefinite articles in Esperanto makes the language easier to use in many cases — especially for those whose own language doesn’t have them — one must take care not to confuse indefinite common nouns with proper nouns, especially in speech:
| Custer estis venkita de Freneza Ĉevalo. | Custer was defeated by Crazy Horse. |
| Custer estis venkita de freneza ĉevalo. | Custer was defeated by a crazy horse. |
| En la komenco estis la Vorto, kaj la Vorto estis kun Dio, kaj la Vorto estis Dio. | In beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. |
| En la komenco estis la Vorto, kaj la Vorto estis kun dio, kaj la Vorto estis dio. | In beginning was the Word, and the Word was with a god, and the Word was a god. |
