Which article - definite or indefinite? 1

Definite — specific or general; indefinite — new/non-specific — Use the definite article (el/la/los/las) for nouns that are known, specific, or being referred to in general: Me gusta el café. Use the indefinite (un/una/unos/unas) to introduce a new or non-specific noun: Quiero un café (any coffee, not a specific one).

General statements use the definite article — A key difference from English: Spanish uses the definite article when making general statements about a category of things: Los perros son leales. El chocolate es delicioso. Me encantan las películas francesas. English uses no article here; Spanish requires it.

Indefinite to introduce, definite to refer back — The pattern is similar to English: use the indefinite article the first time you mention something, then switch to the definite: Vi una película muy buena. La película ganó varios premios. Once the noun is established in the conversation, the definite article marks it as known.