The Definite Article is used in Spanish -and not in English- on the following:

1. Before the seasons of the year:

• La primavera (spring)
• El verano (summer)
• El otoño (autumn)
• El invierno (winter)

And the four cardinal points:

• El norte (North)
• El este (East)
• El sur (South)
• El oeste (West)

2. Before the hour of the day (with the words hora, horas, understood), as:

• Es la una: It is one o'clock.
• Son las dos y cuarto: It is a quarter past two.
• Son las tres y cinco: It is five minutes past three.
• Son las cuatro menos diez: It is ten minutes to four.
• Las cinco y media: Half-past five.

3. Optionally, before the proper name of a woman used colloquially, as:

• La Maria (Mary, our Mary).

4. Optionally, before the days of the week, especially when preceded by "on" in English, as:

• Vendré el sábado: I shall come on Saturday.

5. Regularly, before the names of the following countries:

• El Perú
• La India
• El Japón

And some towns to be learnt by practice, as:

• La Coruña
• El Havre
• El Cairo
• El Ferrol
• etc.

Although found sometimes before the names of countries in general, this example should not be followed.

The Definite Article is used in English and not in Spanish:

1. Before numbers following names of sovereigns, etc., as:

• Carlos I (primero), Charles I (the first)
• Alfonso XIII (trece), Alphonso XIII (the thirteenth)

2. In titles of books, headings, etc., as:

• Historia de la Inquisición (The History of the Inquisition).

3. Before words in apposition, as:

• Madrid, capital de España (Madrid, the capital of Spain).

But:

• Alfonso el Sabio (Alphonso the Wise)
• Juana la Loca (Jane the Mad)

because these are "titles."

The Indefinite Article is used in English and not in Spanish (besides rules in Lesson II):

1. Before words in apposition, as:

• Rubio y Cía., casa importantísima de la Habana: Rubio & Co., a most important firm in Havana.

2. In titles of books, headings, etc., as:

• Lista de los géneros pedidos: A list of goods required.

3. In "such a," "so ... a," as:

• Tal amigo: Such a friend.
• Tan buen amigo: So good a friend, such a good friend.

4. In "a half" (medio), "a quarter" (cuarto), "a third" (tercio), in the case of an integer preceding, as:

• Uno y medio (1-1/2)
• Dos y cuarto (2-1/4)
• Cinco y tercio (penknife/3)

Occasionally the article is omitted before other fractions.

5. Before otro, as:

• Otra quiebra: Another bankruptcy.

Before weights and measures the definite article is used in Spanish instead of the indefinite used in English, as:

• Dos chelines la libra: Two shillings a pound.
• Cinco pesetas el metro or por metro: 5 pesetas a metre.

The Definite Article is omitted before casa and palacio when they are spoken of as places usually frequented by the person in question:

• Iré á casa del ingeniero: I shall go to the engineer's house.
• El Rey volvió ayer a palacio: The King returned yesterday to the palace.

The article must not be employed before a noun used after a preposition in an adjectival capacity, as:

• Una viga de hierro (not del hierro): An iron beam.

The tendency of the Spanish language is to omit the indefinite article whenever, by such omission the sense is not obscure, as:

• Tengo intención de marcharme: I have a mind to go.
• Vino con dolor de cabeza: He came with a headache.
• Le dió cuenta de lo sucedido: He gave him an account of all that had happened.
• Este caballero tiene mucho or grande ingenio: This gentleman has a great talent.

The Neuter article "lo" cannot precede a noun used as such, but it may (elegantly) precede a noun used adjectively, as:

• Todo me gusta en el, lo amigo, lo ciudadano, lo caballero: I like everything in him: the friend, the citizen, the gentleman.