Blog about English
Using the to refer to specific people, things and places.
Use the when referring to a noun that has already been mentioned.
After introducing a noun with a/an, use the when referring to the same person or thing because it is now known to the listener.
I saw a dog outside my apartment.
Я увидел собаку возле своей квартиры.
A introduces the dog for the first time.
The dog was wearing a red collar.
На собаке был красный ошейник.
The refers to the dog that was already mentioned.
She bought a new laptop last week.
Она купила новый ноутбук на прошлой неделе.
A introduces the laptop as a new referent.
The laptop is on her desk.
Ноутбук находится на её столе.
The refers back to the laptop already introduced.
I found a wallet on the sidewalk.
Я нашел кошелек на тротуаре.
A introduces the wallet for the first time.
The wallet contained a driver’s license and two credit cards.
В кошельке были водительские права и две кредитные карты.
The identifies the previously mentioned wallet; a introduces another new noun.
A company sent me an email about a job opening.
Одна компания прислала мне электронное письмо о вакансии.
The nouns are introduced with indefinite articles.
The company said the job would start in September.
Компания сообщила, что работа начнется в сентябре.
The company and the job refer to previously mentioned nouns.
Use the with things that are unique or generally considered unique.
Examples include the sun, the moon, the Earth, the universe and the internet.
The sun is very bright today.
Сегодня солнце очень яркое.
The sun is treated as a unique object.
The moon was almost full last night.
Прошлой ночью луна была почти полной.
The moon is conventionally treated as unique in ordinary contexts.
The Earth moves around the sun.
Земля движется вокруг Солнца.
The is used with Earth and sun as unique celestial bodies in this context.
Scientists continue to study the universe.
Ученые продолжают изучать Вселенную.
The universe is treated as a unique whole.
The internet has changed how people communicate.
Интернет изменил то, как люди общаются.
The internet is conventionally treated as a unique system.
The North Star is easy to identify on a clear night.
Полярную звезду легко определить в ясную ночь.
The is used because the name identifies a unique celestial object.
The atmosphere protects life from much of the Sun’s radiation.
Атмосфера защищает жизнь от значительной части солнечного излучения.
The refers to the unique atmosphere surrounding Earth.
The universe is expanding, although scientists continue to debate some details of how it began.
Вселенная расширяется, хотя ученые продолжают обсуждать некоторые детали ее происхождения.
The identifies the unique universe as a whole.
Use the when a following phrase or clause identifies the noun.
The noun becomes definite because additional information specifies exactly which one is meant.
The book on the table is mine.
Книга на столе моя.
The phrase on the table identifies which book is meant.
The car parked outside belongs to my neighbor.
Машина, припаркованная снаружи, принадлежит моему соседу.
The participial phrase parked outside identifies the car.
Please give me the document you printed this morning.
Пожалуйста, дай мне документ, который ты распечатал сегодня утром.
The relative clause identifies the specific document.
The restaurant across the street is always busy.
Ресторан через дорогу всегда переполнен.
The phrase across the street specifies which restaurant.
The woman in the blue jacket is my sister.
Женщина в синей куртке — моя сестра.
The phrase in the blue jacket identifies the woman.
The house at the end of the road has been empty for years.
Дом в конце дороги уже много лет пустует.
The additional phrase identifies one particular house.
The proposal that the committee approved will be discussed tomorrow.
Предложение, которое одобрил комитет, будет обсуждаться завтра.
The relative clause identifies the specific proposal.
The employees working on the new software release have been given additional training.
Сотрудники, работающие над новой версией программы, прошли дополнительное обучение.
The participial phrase narrows the reference to a particular group of employees.
Use the before superlative adjectives.
Examples include the best, the tallest, the most interesting and the least expensive.
She is the tallest student in the class.
Она самая высокая ученица в классе.
The is used before the superlative tallest.
This is the best pizza I have ever had.
Это лучшая пицца, которую я когда-либо ел.
The is used before the irregular superlative best.
That was the most interesting movie of the year.
Это был самый интересный фильм года.
The comes before a most-superlative form.
This is the least expensive option.
Это наименее дорогой вариант.
The is used before least + adjective.
Who is the oldest person in your family?
Кто самый старший человек в твоей семье?
The is used before the superlative oldest.
It was the hardest exam I had taken that semester.
Это был самый трудный экзамен, который я сдавал в том семестре.
The identifies the highest degree within the relevant set.
The most reliable solution is not always the cheapest one.
Самое надежное решение не всегда самое дешевое.
The is used with both superlative noun phrases.
Of all the proposals we reviewed, this was the least practical.
Из всех рассмотренных нами предложений это было наименее практичным.
The is used even when the superlative adjective appears at the end of the clause.
Use the before ordinal numbers.
Examples include the first, the second, the third and the last.
She lives on the second floor.
Она живет на втором этаже.
The is used before the ordinal second.
Today is the first day of school.
Сегодня первый день в школе.
The is used before first.
He finished in the third position.
Он финишировал на третьем месте.
The accompanies the ordinal third.
This is the fourth time I have called.
Я звоню уже в четвертый раз.
The fourth identifies one position in a sequence of events.
She was the first person to arrive.
Она была первой прибывшей.
The is used before first even when the ordinal modifies person.
The team won the seventh game of the season.
Команда выиграла седьмую игру сезона.
The ordinal identifies a particular position in a known sequence.
This was the first major storm to hit the area that winter.
Это была первая сильная буря, обрушившаяся на этот район той зимой.
The first identifies the earliest event in the sequence.
The last section of the report contains the most important recommendations.
Последний раздел отчета содержит самые важные рекомендации.
The is used with last because it identifies a specific position in the sequence.
Use the before only, same, main and similar adjectives.
Examples include the only answer, the same person and the main reason.
She is the only person who knows the answer.
Она единственный человек, который знает ответ.
The is normally required before only.
We took the same train home.
Мы поехали домой на том же поезде.
The is normally used before same.
The main problem is the cost.
Главная проблема — стоимость.
The is normally used before main.
He was the only student who passed the exam.
Он был единственным студентом, который сдал экзамен.
Only identifies a unique member of the relevant group.
They stayed in the same hotel as us.
Они остановились в том же отеле, что и мы.
Same is normally preceded by the.
The main reason for the delay was bad weather.
Главной причиной задержки была плохая погода.
The main reason identifies the principal reason among possible reasons.
The only available option was to postpone the meeting.
Единственным доступным вариантом было перенести встречу.
The only identifies one unique available option.
The same principle applies to the main exception discussed below.
Тот же принцип применяется к главному исключению, рассмотренному ниже.
Both same and main normally take the definite article.
Use the when talking about playing a musical instrument in general.
Examples include play the piano, play the violin and play the guitar.
She plays the piano.
Она играет на пианино.
The is commonly used before the names of musical instruments after play.
My brother plays the guitar.
Мой брат играет на гитаре.
The is used with guitar when talking about the instrument generally.
She learned to play the violin when she was six.
Она научилась играть на скрипке в шесть лет.
The is used before violin in this general musical context.
He can play the drums very well.
Он очень хорошо играет на барабанах.
The is used with drums as the name of the instrument.
She has been learning the saxophone for three years.
Она учится играть на саксофоне уже три года.
The is used in the standard expression play/learn the saxophone.
He started playing the trumpet in high school.
Он начал играть на трубе в старшей школе.
The is used with trumpet as an instrument.
The students practiced the clarinet before the concert.
Ученики репетировали игру на кларнете перед концертом.
The is used with clarinet as the instrument being played.
She switched from the flute to the oboe during college.
Во время учебы в колледже она перешла с флейты на гобой.
The is used with both instruments in this general musical sense.
Use the before nationality adjectives referring to groups of people.
Examples include the French, the Dutch, the English and the Chinese.
The French are known for their cuisine.
Французы известны своей кухней.
The + nationality adjective can refer to the people of a nation.
The Japanese have a long history of traditional arts.
У японцев долгая история традиционных искусств.
The Japanese refers to Japanese people as a group.
The Chinese have established communities across the United States.
Китайцы создали общины по всей территории США.
The Chinese refers to Chinese people collectively.
The Dutch are famous for their cycling culture.
Голландцы известны своей велосипедной культурой.
The Dutch refers to Dutch people as a group.
The Spanish have several regional languages.
У испанцев есть несколько региональных языков.
The Spanish refers to Spanish people collectively.
The English have influenced many areas of modern culture.
Англичане повлияли на многие области современной культуры.
The English refers to English people as a group.
The Irish have a strong tradition of storytelling.
У ирландцев сильна традиция рассказывания историй.
The Irish refers collectively to Irish people.
The Swiss are known for their multilingual society.
Швейцарцы известны своим многоязычным обществом.
The Swiss refers to Swiss people collectively.
Use the before family names when referring to the whole family.
Examples include the Smiths and the Johnsons.
The Smiths live next door.
Семья Смитов живет по соседству.
The + plural family name refers to the family as a group.
We had dinner with the Johnsons on Sunday.
В воскресенье мы ужинали с семьей Джонсонов.
The Johnsons refers to the Johnson family.
The Parkers moved to Texas last year.
Семья Паркер переехала в Техас в прошлом году.
The Parker family is expressed as the Parkers.
The Wilsons are hosting Thanksgiving this year.
Семья Уилсонов принимает гостей на День благодарения в этом году.
The Wilsons refers to the whole Wilson family.
The Martins invited us to their new house.
Семья Мартинов пригласила нас в свой новый дом.
The Martins means the Martins family.
We have known the Garcias for more than ten years.
Мы знаем семью Гарсия уже более десяти лет.
The Garcias refers to several members of the Garcia family.
The Harrisons bought a house near the lake.
Семья Харрисонов купила дом возле озера.
The Harrison family is referred to by the plural family name.
The Thompsons are planning a cross-country trip this summer.
Семья Томпсонов планирует поездку через всю страну этим летом.
The Thompsons refers to the whole family collectively.
Use the with rivers, seas, oceans and canals.
Examples include the Thames, the Nile, the Mediterranean and the Pacific Ocean.
The Mississippi River flows through the United States.
Река Миссисипи протекает по территории США.
The is used with the name of a river.
The Colorado River is an important source of water in the Southwest.
Река Колорадо — важный источник воды на юго-западе.
The is used with the name of a river.
The Pacific Ocean is larger than the Atlantic Ocean.
Тихий океан больше Атлантического океана.
The is used with ocean names.
California has a long coastline along the Pacific Ocean.
У Калифорнии длинная береговая линия вдоль Тихого океана.
The is used with the name of the ocean.
The Gulf of Mexico is warmer than many northern waters.
Мексиканский залив теплее многих северных вод.
The is used with the names of seas and certain large bodies of water.
The Atlantic Ocean separates North America from Europe.
Атлантический океан отделяет Северную Америку от Европы.
The is part of the conventional name Atlantic Ocean.
The Panama Canal connects the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans.
Панамский канал соединяет Атлантический и Тихий океаны.
The is used with the name of a canal.
The Great Lakes form one of the largest freshwater systems in the world.
Великие озера образуют одну из крупнейших систем пресной воды в мире.
The is used because Great Lakes refers to a recognized group of lakes.
Use the with mountain ranges, deserts and groups of islands.
Examples include the Alps, the Sahara and the Canary Islands.
The Rocky Mountains stretch across much of the western United States.
Скалистые горы простираются по значительной части западной части США.
The is used with the name of a mountain range.
We spent a week hiking in the Rockies.
Мы провели неделю в походах по Скалистым горам.
The Rockies refers to the Rocky Mountains as a range.
The Sierra Nevada is visible from parts of California.
Сьерра-Невада видна из некоторых районов Калифорнии.
The is used with the name of a mountain range.
The Mojave Desert covers a large area of the Southwest.
Пустыня Мохаве занимает большую территорию юго-запада.
The is used with the name of a desert.
The Grand Canyon lies near the northern part of the Mojave region.
Гранд-Каньон находится рядом с северной частью региона Мохаве.
The is used with the established geographical name Grand Canyon.
The Hawaiian Islands are a popular vacation destination.
Гавайские острова — популярное место для отдыха.
The is used with a group of islands.
The Florida Keys attract visitors throughout the year.
Флорида-Кис привлекает посетителей круглый год.
The is used with the name of an island group.
The Appalachian Mountains contain thousands of miles of hiking trails.
Аппалачи содержат тысячи миль туристических троп.
The is used with the name of a mountain range.
Use the with countries and regions whose names are plural or descriptive.
Examples include the Netherlands, the United Kingdom and the Middle East.
The United States is a large country.
Соединенные Штаты — большая страна.
The is part of the conventional name United States.
She moved to the United Kingdom for work.
Она переехала в Соединенное Королевство по работе.
The is used with United Kingdom.
The Netherlands is famous for its canals.
Нидерланды известны своими каналами.
The is part of the conventional name Netherlands.
They spent two weeks traveling through the Middle East.
Они провели две недели, путешествуя по Ближнему Востоку.
The is used with Middle East.
The United Arab Emirates has become an important business center.
Объединенные Арабские Эмираты стали важным деловым центром.
The is used with the descriptive plural country name.
The Czech Republic changed its official short name to Czechia.
Чешская Республика изменила свое официальное краткое название на Чехию.
The is traditionally used with the descriptive name Czech Republic.
The Philippines consists of thousands of islands in Southeast Asia.
Филиппины состоят из тысяч островов в Юго-Восточной Азии.
The is used with the plural geographical name Philippines.
The Midwest is known for agriculture and large manufacturing centers.
Средний Запад известен сельским хозяйством и крупными промышленными центрами.
The is commonly used with the regional name Midwest.
Use the with many organizations, museums, hotels, theatres and newspapers.
Whether the is used depends on the official name and established usage.
The White House is in Washington, D.C.
Белый дом находится в Вашингтоне.
The is part of the conventional name White House.
We visited the Smithsonian during our trip.
Мы посетили Смитсоновский институт во время поездки.
The is commonly used with the Smithsonian when referring to the institution as a whole.
The Metropolitan Museum of Art is in New York City.
Метрополитен-музей находится в Нью-Йорке.
The is part of the established name.
The New York Public Library has several major branches.
Нью-Йоркская публичная библиотека имеет несколько крупных филиалов.
The is part of the organization’s established name.
They booked a room at the Hilton downtown.
Они забронировали номер в отеле Hilton в центре города.
The is commonly used with a hotel name such as the Hilton.
The theater opens at seven tonight.
Театр открывается сегодня вечером в семь.
The can identify a particular theater from the local context.
The National Gallery attracts millions of visitors each year.
Национальная галерея привлекает миллионы посетителей каждый год.
The is part of the established institutional name.
The university opened the new science building in 2025.
Университет открыл новое научное здание в 2025 году.
The identifies a particular institution or building known in the context.
Use the instead of a possessive adjective in certain expressions.
This commonly occurs after verbs such as hit, grab, kiss, pat and pull.
He hit me on the arm.
Он ударил меня по руке.
The is commonly used with body parts after expressions such as hit someone on the arm.
She kissed him on the cheek.
Она поцеловала его в щеку.
The cheek identifies the body part affected in the action.
The child grabbed me by the hand.
Ребенок схватил меня за руку.
The is used in the fixed pattern by the hand.
Someone tapped her on the shoulder.
Кто-то похлопал ее по плечу.
The is used after tap someone on the shoulder.
The doctor examined him on the knee.
Врач осмотрел его колено.
The body-part article can occur when the body part is connected to a known person in the action.
She pulled him by the arm to move him away from the door.
Она потянула его за руку, чтобы отвести от двери.
The is used in the construction pull someone by the arm.
He grabbed me by the wrist when I tried to leave.
Он схватил меня за запястье, когда я попытался уйти.
The is used with the body part in the by construction.
The nurse placed a sensor on the patient’s chest.
Медсестра поместила датчик на грудь пациента.
Here the possessive is used because the specific patient’s body part is being identified directly.
Use the with a singular noun to represent an entire class in formal English.
Examples include The elephant is the largest land mammal.
The elephant is a highly intelligent animal.
Слон — очень умное животное.
The + singular noun can represent an entire species or class.
The whale is a mammal.
Кит — млекопитающее.
The whale refers to whales as a class.
The bald eagle is a national symbol of the United States.
Белоголовый орлан — национальный символ США.
The singular noun refers to the species generally.
The smartphone has changed the way people access information.
Смартфон изменил то, как люди получают информацию.
The smartphone refers to smartphones generally in a formal generalization.
The automobile transformed transportation in the twentieth century.
Автомобиль преобразил транспорт в двадцатом веке.
The singular noun represents the entire class of automobiles.
The computer has become essential to modern business.
Компьютер стал необходим для современного бизнеса.
The computer is used generically to represent the class.
The American worker is increasingly expected to adapt to new technologies.
От американского работника все чаще ожидают адаптации к новым технологиям.
The singular noun phrase refers generically to a social class or group.
The modern consumer expects convenient access to information and services.
Современный потребитель ожидает удобного доступа к информации и услугам.
The singular noun represents consumers generally in formal writing.
Use the in comparative patterns such as the more..., the better....
These structures express proportional change between two ideas.
The more you practice, the better you become.
Чем больше ты практикуешься, тем лучше становишься.
The is used in both parts of the proportional comparative structure.
The earlier we leave, the sooner we will arrive.
Чем раньше мы выйдем, тем скорее приедем.
The introduces both comparative clauses.
The harder he works, the more money he earns.
Чем усерднее он работает, тем больше денег зарабатывает.
The + comparative adjective/adverb expresses proportional change.
The longer the meeting lasts, the more tired everyone gets.
Чем дольше длится собрание, тем сильнее все устают.
The structure can compare two changing situations.
The more carefully you plan, the fewer problems you are likely to have.
Чем тщательнее ты планируешь, тем меньше проблем у тебя, скорее всего, будет.
The comparative structure can contain adverbs and complex noun phrases.
The higher the temperature rises, the faster the snow melts.
Чем выше поднимается температура, тем быстрее тает снег.
Both clauses express linked proportional changes.
The more experience she gains, the more confidently she handles difficult negotiations.
Чем больше опыта она получает, тем увереннее ведет сложные переговоры.
The structure links increasing experience with increasing confidence.
The less time we spend on unnecessary steps, the more efficiently the system can operate.
Чем меньше времени мы тратим на ненужные шаги, тем эффективнее система может работать.
The structure also works with less and can be used in technical contexts.
Many fixed expressions require the.
Examples include in the morning, at the moment, on the whole and by the way.
I usually exercise in the morning.
Обычно я занимаюсь спортом утром.
The is part of the fixed expression in the morning.
I will call you back in the afternoon.
Я перезвоню тебе днем.
The is used in the fixed expression in the afternoon.
I am busy at the moment.
Я сейчас занят.
At the moment is a fixed expression meaning now.
On the whole, the plan worked well.
В целом план сработал хорошо.
On the whole is a fixed expression meaning generally or overall.
By the way, did you call Sarah?
Кстати, ты звонил Саре?
By the way is a fixed expression used to introduce additional information.
In the end, we decided to stay home.
В конце концов мы решили остаться дома.
In the end is a fixed expression referring to the final result.
The project was successful in the long run.
В долгосрочной перспективе проект оказался успешным.
In the long run is a fixed expression referring to the eventual result over time.
The company remained stable in the face of the economic downturn.
Компания сохранила стабильность перед лицом экономического спада.
In the face of is a fixed prepositional expression containing the.
Some proper nouns require the while most do not.
Whether the is used depends on the type of proper noun and established convention.
The United States has fifty states.
В Соединенных Штатах пятьдесят штатов.
The is part of the conventional country name.
The Pacific Ocean is enormous.
Тихий океан огромен.
The is used with the name of an ocean.
The Mississippi is one of the longest rivers in the United States.
Миссисипи — одна из самых длинных рек США.
The is used with the name of a river.
The Rocky Mountains attract hikers from around the world.
Скалистые горы привлекают туристов со всего мира.
The is used with the name of a mountain range.
The Great Lakes border several U.S. states.
Великие озера граничат с несколькими штатами США.
The is used with a group of lakes.
The White House is located near the National Mall.
Белый дом находится рядом с Национальной аллеей.
The is part of the established name White House.
The United Nations works on issues affecting countries around the world.
Организация Объединенных Наций работает над вопросами, затрагивающими страны всего мира.
The is part of the organization’s established name.
The National Park Service manages protected lands across the country.
Служба национальных парков управляет охраняемыми территориями по всей стране.
The is used because National Park Service is a conventional organizational name.
Do not use the with most personal names, cities, streets, languages, meals or individual mountains and lakes.
English has many important exceptions, but these categories normally do not take the definite article.
John is waiting outside.
Джон ждет снаружи.
Most personal names do not take the.
She lives in Chicago.
Она живет в Чикаго.
Most city names do not take the.
They live on Main Street.
Они живут на Мейн-стрит.
Street names normally occur without the.
He speaks English at work.
Он говорит по-английски на работе.
Language names normally occur without the.
We had breakfast at seven.
Мы позавтракали в семь.
Meal names normally occur without the when referring to meals generally.
She climbed Mount Rainier last summer.
Прошлым летом она поднялась на гору Рейнир.
Individual mountain names normally occur without the.
They spent the afternoon at Lake Tahoe.
Они провели день на озере Тахо.
Individual lake names normally occur without the.
After lunch, Maria drove back to Phoenix.
После обеда Мария поехала обратно в Финикс.
Personal names and most city names do not require the.