arca de la alianza

Spanish

Noun

arca de la alianza f (uncountable)

1. the Ark of the Covenant

Usage notes

• Feminine nouns beginning with stressed /ˈa/ like arca de la alianza take the singular definite article el (otherwise reserved for masculine nouns) instead of the usual la: el arca de la alianza. This includes the contracted forms al and del (instead of a la and de la, respectively): al arca de la alianza, del arca de la alianza.

These nouns also usually take the indefinite article un that is otherwise used with masculine nouns (although the standard feminine form una is also permitted): un arca de la alianza or una arca de la alianza. The same is true with determiners algún/alguna and ningún/ninguna, as well as for numerals ending with 1 (e.g., veintiún/veintiuna).

However, if another word intervenes between the article and the noun, the usual feminine singular articles and determiners (la, una etc.) must be used: la mejor arca de la alianza, una buena arca de la alianza.

• If an adjective follows the noun, it must agree with the noun's gender regardless of the article used: el arca de la alianza única, un(a) arca de la alianza buena.
• In the plural, the usual feminine singular articles and determiners (las, unas etc.) are always used.

Further reading

• “arca de la alianza”, in Diccionario de la lengua española [Dictionary of the Spanish Language] (in Spanish), online version 23.8, Royal Spanish Academy [Spanish: Real Academia Española], 2024 December 10