Articles in English Grammar: A, An, The (उपपद) – A Complete Bilingual Guide
Learn when to use ‘a’, ‘an’ and ‘the’ — and when to use no article at all — with clear rules, Marathi explanations, and examples.
What are Articles? Articles are small words placed before a noun to show whether we mean something specific or general. English has 2 types: the Indefinite Article (a/an) and the Definite Article (the).
(इंग्रजी व्याकरणात, नामापूर्वी येणाऱ्या ‘a’, ‘an’, ‘the’ या शब्दांना ‘उपपद’ किंवा ‘आर्टिकल’ म्हणतात. मराठी भाषेत याला थेट समानार्थी शब्द नाही, त्यामुळे मराठी भाषिकांना हा विषय समजून घेणे महत्त्वाचे आहे.)
1. Indefinite Articles: A and An (अनिश्चित उपपद)
English Rule: Use “a” before words starting with a consonant SOUND, and “an” before words starting with a vowel SOUND. Used when talking about something general or non-specific, or mentioning something for the first time.
मराठी नियम: व्यंजनाच्या उच्चाराने (sound) सुरू होणाऱ्या शब्दांपूर्वी “a” आणि स्वराच्या उच्चाराने सुरू होणाऱ्या शब्दांपूर्वी “an” वापरतात. एखाद्या गोष्टीचा सर्वसाधारण उल्लेख करताना किंवा प्रथमच नमूद करताना हे वापरले जाते.
Examples (उदाहरणे):
- ‘a’ + consonant sound: a book, a dog, a university (starts with ‘yoo’ sound)
- ‘an’ + vowel sound: an apple, an hour (silent ‘h’), an umbrella
- First mention: I saw a cat near the school.
Example Sentence: She wants to become an engineer after a year.
(तिला एका वर्षानंतर अभियंता व्हायचे आहे.)
2. Definite Article: The (निश्चित उपपद)
English Rule: Use “the” when talking about something specific that both the speaker and listener know about — something already mentioned, unique, or made specific by context.
मराठी नियम: ज्या गोष्टीबद्दल बोलणारा आणि ऐकणारा दोघांनाही माहिती आहे, जी अगोदरच नमूद केलेली आहे, किंवा जी एकमेवाद्वितीय (unique) आहे, अशा नामापूर्वी “the” वापरतात.
Examples (उदाहरणे):
- Already mentioned: I saw a cat. The cat was black.
- Unique things: the sun, the moon, the sky, the Taj Mahal
- Superlatives: She is the best student in the class.
- Rivers, seas, oceans: the Ganga, the Arabian Sea
Example Sentence: The teacher praised the student for his answer.
(शिक्षकांनी विद्यार्थ्याच्या उत्तराचे कौतुक केले.)
3. No Article (Zero Article) (उपपद नसताना)
English Rule: No article is used before plural or uncountable nouns used in a general sense, most proper nouns (names of people, countries, cities), and languages.
मराठी नियम: सर्वसाधारण अर्थाने वापरलेली अनेकवचनी किंवा अगणनीय (uncountable) नामे, बहुतेक व्यक्तिवाचक नामे (नावे, देश, शहरे), आणि भाषा यांच्यापूर्वी उपपद वापरले जात नाही.
Examples (उदाहरणे):
- General plural: Dogs are loyal animals. (not “The dogs”)
- Uncountable, general: Milk is good for health.
- Proper nouns: Ramesh lives in Mumbai, India.
- Languages: She speaks Marathi and English.
Example Sentence: Honesty is the best policy.
(प्रामाणिकपणा हे सर्वोत्तम धोरण आहे.)
Common Mistake for Marathi Speakers (मराठी भाषिकांची सामान्य चूक)
Marathi has no articles at all, so Marathi speakers often either skip articles completely or add them in the wrong place. For example, saying “He is doctor” instead of “He is a doctor”, or “Give me pen” instead of “Give me a pen”.
(मराठीत “तो डॉक्टर आहे” असे म्हणताना कोणतेही उपपद लागत नाही, त्यामुळे इंग्रजी बोलताना अनेकजण “He is doctor” असे चुकीचे वाक्य तयार करतात. लक्षात ठेवा: कोणत्याही एकवचनी गणनीय (countable) नामापूर्वी नेहमी a/an किंवा the आवश्यक आहे — “He is a doctor.”)
Summary Table: Articles (तक्ता)
| Article | मराठी नाव | When to Use | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| A | अनिश्चित उपपद | Before consonant sounds, general/first mention | a book |
| An | अनिश्चित उपपद | Before vowel sounds | an apple |
| The | निश्चित उपपद | Specific, already mentioned, or unique things | the sun |
| No Article | उपपद नाही | General plurals, proper nouns, languages | Dogs bark. |
Test Your Understanding — Articles Quiz
तुमची समज तपासा! Answer all 10 questions and see your score at the end.
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