Use of Articles in Languages

Many languages use definite and indefinite articles. However, the use of articles varies. Let's look at a few examples.

In English the indefinite article is used in sentences such as I'm a doctor and He's a teacher. However, in German the indefinite article isn't used in these sentences. They are Ich bin Arzt and Er ist Lehrer. However, if we add adjectives such as I'm a new doctor and He's a good teacher, the indefinite article is required. The sentences are then translated as Ich bin ein neuer Arzt and Er ist ein guter Lehrer.

In the sentence That's life, no article is used before life because it's used in a general sense. However, in French the sentence is translated as C'est la vie. The definite article la is required.

No articles are used before names in English, but in colloquial Portuguese they are common. The sentence Maria studies a lot can be translated as A Maria estuda muito. The definite article isn't necessary in Portuguese, but in informal language it's often used.

Though many languages use definite and indefinite articles, their usage varies. English uses indefinite articles before professions, but German doesn't. English doesn't use definite articles before general nouns, but French does. The rules for the use of articles are thus language specific.