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Tienes (un) coche - omisión del artículo |
The indefinite article (un, una) is often omitted before singular countable nouns (sustantivos discontinuos) when referring to a generic, stereotypical thing rather than a specific, identifiable one.
" [...] Este uso se extiende a las oraciones sin negación en situaciones en las que el predicado caracteriza algún estado de cosas prototípico. Así, el grupo nominal escueto 'sombrero charro' que aparece en la oración negativa 'Aquí nadie usa sombrero charro' (Bolaño, Detectives) puede alternar, en contextos afirmativos, con otros que designen prendas, accesorios o aderezos que se considere normal llevar, así como armas que se acostumbre a portar (Siempre lleva pistola; Hoy trae bufanda), entre otros aditamentos que se acomoden a algún prototipo".1
1) Omission is especially common after the verbs tener, haber, llevar, and usar, when the direct object is something that is expected or standard in our society or culture, and when referring to a prototypical object.1
-Esa mujer suele llevar falda — That woman usually wears a skirt (standard garment)
→Esa mujer suele llevar una flor en el pelo — That woman usually wears a flower in her hair (non-standard)
-El edificio tiene antena colectiva de televisión — The building has a shared TV antenna (standard item)
→El edificio tiene una grieta en la pared — The building has a crack in the wall (non-standard item)
-¿Tienes perro? — Do you have a dog? (social/cultural norm to have a dog)
→¿Tienes una tortuga? — Do you have a tortoise? (non-standard)
-Tendrás que esperar. Hay (una) cola — You'll have to wait. There's a queue
2) Also commonly used with a noun without determiner (el nombre escueto) are the prospective-type verbs such as buscar, encontrar, querer, conseguir, necesitar and comprar, where the focus is on obtaining something that is considered normal or standard in our society.2
"Los sustantivos sin determinante permiten que el tipo que corresponde a la entidad que designan los nombres escuetos convierta en arquetípico o prototípico el predicado verbal en el que se integran".2
-No es fácil encontrar mesa aquí— It's not easy to find a table here
-Busco socio — I'm looking for a partner
-Para ese trabajo necesitas coche — For that job you need a car
-Es casi imposible conseguir licencia de terraza en Madrid — It's almost impossible to get a terrace licence in Madrid
3) The absence of the determiner (el, este, algún, etc.) is more common in negative sentences, where it tends to refer to lack of a generic thing.
"Se admiten los sustantivos discontinuos en singular en grupos nominales sin determinante en las oraciones negativas en las que se denota falta o carencia de algo que se considera necesario, pertinente o especialmente valorado".2
-No conozco diccionario mejor que este — I don't know any dictionary that's better than this one
-Todavía no posee título — He still doesn't have a degree
-¿No tienes abrigo? — Don't you have a coat?
-No tiene novio — She doesn't have a boyfriend
-No uso reloj — I don't use/wear a watch
4) The article/determiner is often omitted with programmed or predicted events, especially with the verbs ser, haber, tener and tocar.
"Así, los sustantivos escuetos que aparecen en 'Hubo banquete' o 'Hay función' describen situaciones estereotipadas".3
-Hoy hay concierto — There's a concert today
-Hoy es fiesta — Today is a public holiday
-Vamos a tener tormenta esta semana— We're going to have a storm this week
-Va a haber boda — There's going to be a wedding
-Hubo banquete — There was a banquet
-Hoy toca película romántica — Today is romantic film day
5) However, when the noun is modified in some way so as to make it specific, rather than prototypical, it should take the article.
-Tengo perro — I have a dog
→Tengo un perro negro — I have a black dog
-No tiene coche — He doesn't have a car
→No tiene un coche en condiciones — He doesn't have a decent car
-A veces es difícil encontrar mesa en ese local — It can be hard to find a table in this place
→A veces es difícil encontrar una mesa que tenga sillas cómodas — It can be hard to find a table that has comfortable chairs
-Compartimos cama — We share a bed
→Compartimos una cama doble — We share a double bed
6) Certain common collocations referring to established procedures or processes often omit the article.2
-Han firmado contrato — They have signed the/a contract
-Hay que hacer copia de esto — A copy of this document must be made
-Llamaré para pedir cita — I'll call to make an appointment
7) Other fixed expressions that appear in the dictionary include:
-Pasar página — To move on
-Cantar victoria — To count your chickens (before they've hatched)
-Dar carpetazo — To shelve sth
-Pegar ojo — To sleep a wink
8) When referring to the way, means or instrument used to carry out an action, especially after prepositions, the article is often omitted.3
"[...] la ausencia de artículo alude al modo como se realiza la acción, mientras que su presencia introduce como referente discursivo el instrumento usado para llevarla a cabo".
-Voy en moto — I go by motorbike / on my motorbike
-Se hace con cuchillo — It's done with a knife
-Se quita con láser — It's removed with a laser
-Lo escribí con lápiz — I wrote it with a pencil
-Lo hice sin ordenador — I did it without a computer
9) A limited number of nouns, when they are the complement of the verb ser, are frequently used without the indefinite article —especially in the negation. The most common examples include problema, cuestión, coincidencia, molestia, and exageración.4
-El dinero no es problema — (The) money is no problem
-No es exageración — It's no exageration
-Es cuestión de hablar con él — It's a matter of speaking with him
-Si no es molestia — If it's no trouble
-Fue coincidencia — It was (a) coincidence
10) Nouns denoting profession, occupation or sex, usually as the subject complement (el atributo) of the verb ser, don't tend to use the indefinite article unless modified or unless the speaker wishes to stress the number 'one'.
-Es médico — He's a doctor
→Es un buen médico — He's a good doctor
-No soy (ningún) experto — I'm no expert / I'm not an expert
-Mi madre es cocinera — My mum is a cook
→Pero mi madre es (solo) una cocinera, y ellos son un equipo de diez — But my mum is a/one cook, and they are a team of ten
-¿Era (un) hombre o (una) mujer? — Was it a man or a woman?
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- For omission of the article in relative clauses with a preposition, see discussion.
- For omission of the article and the 'personal a' in relative clauses, see discussion.
- For omission of the subject, see discussion.
In Español-Avanzado articulos
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-omisión del artículo indefinido-
