The Definite Article (the)
When to say "the", and when not to. The rules that confuse almost every Sri Lankan learner.
Sinhala has no word for the, so this is hard for us. Here's the question to ask every time: does the listener know which one? If yes, use the.
අහගෙන ඉන්න කෙනාට අපි කියන්නේ හරියටම කොයි එක ගැනද කියලා දන්නවා නම් the පාවිච්චි කරනවා. ලෝකේ එකම එකයි තියෙන්නේ නම් (the sun), කලින් කියලා තියෙනවා නම්, නැත්නම් "කොයි එකද" කියලා වාක්යයෙන්ම පැහැදිලි නම් the.
When to use "the"
1. You've already mentioned it
Second time
- I saw a dog in the park. The dog was playing with a ball.
- She bought a car last week. The car is red.
2. There's only one (in the world, or here)
Only one
- The sun rises in the east.
- Look at the moon! 🌕
- Where's the washroom? (in this building)
- The President is giving a speech today.
3. The rest of the sentence tells you which one
Which one?
- The man who lives next door is very kind.
- The house with the blue door is ours.
4. With superlatives and "first, second…"
the best, the first
- The Lotus Tower is the tallest building in Sri Lanka.
- This is the third time I've called you today!
5. With some place names
| Use the with… | Examples |
|---|---|
| oceans, seas, rivers | the Indian Ocean, the Mahaweli, the Nile |
| mountain ranges | the Himalayas, the Knuckles |
| groups of islands | the Maldives |
| plural country names, or with Republic, Kingdom, States | the Philippines, the UK, the USA, the Republic of Korea |
| famous buildings, hotels, newspapers | the Temple of the Tooth, the Galle Face Hotel, the Daily Mirror |
| families | the Pereras (the Perera family) |
6. Groups of people (the + adjective)
the rich, the poor, the elderly, the young. We must take care of the elderly.
When NOT to use "the"
| No the with… | Examples |
|---|---|
| most countries and cities | Sri Lanka, India, Kandy, Colombo |
| single mountains and lakes | Adam's Peak, Beira Lake |
| languages | Sinhala, Tamil, English |
| meals | breakfast, lunch, dinner |
| people's names (and titles + names) | Kasun, President Wickremesinghe, Dr. Silva |
| things in general | Rice is good for you. Dogs are loyal. |
| sports and subjects | cricket, maths, science |
| after my, your, Nimal's | my phone, Nimal's car |
How to say it
- Before a consonant sound: "thuh" /ðə/: the bus, the phone
- Before a vowel sound: "thee" /ði/: the apple, the Indian Ocean
Quick check
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I can't go out. sun is too hot!
Too much sugar is bad for you.
I live in .
The Mahaweli is longest river in Sri Lanka.
Amma made a cake. cake was delicious!
What did you have for ?
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