the
Part of speech: article
adv
prep
Morphological type: simple
Etymology: From Middle English þe, from Old English þē m (“the, that”, demonstrative pronoun), a late variant of sē, the s- (which occurred in the masculine and feminine nominative singular only) having been replaced by the þ- from the oblique stem.
replaced words, cognates
Originally neutral nominative, in Middle English it superseded all previous Old English nominative forms (sē m, sēo f, þæt n, þā pl); sē is from Proto-West Germanic *siz, from Proto-Germanic *sa, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *só.
Cognate with Saterland Frisian die (“the”), West Frisian de (“the”), Dutch de (“the”), German Low German de (“the”), German der (“the”), Danish de (“the”), Swedish de (“the”), Icelandic sá (“that”) within Germanic and with Sanskrit स (sá, “the, that”), Ancient Greek ὁ (ho, “the”), Tocharian B se (“this”) among other Indo-European languages.
Inflected forms:
form: da
pos: article
tags: alternative
form: d'
pos: article
tags: alternative
form: teh
pos: article
tags: alternative
form: de
pos: article
tags: alternative
form: t'
pos: article
tags: alternative
form: th'
pos: article
tags: alternative
form: ye
pos: article
tags: alternative
form: yᵉ
pos: article
tags: alternative
form: yͤ
pos: article
tags: alternative
form: ẏe
pos: article
tags: alternative
form: ẏᵉ
pos: article
tags: alternative
Senses:
gloss: Used before a noun phrase, including a simple noun
pos: article
examples: I’m reading the book Mary reviewed. (Compare I’m reading a book Mary reviewed.)
You live on Main Street, don't you? You know, you should tell the mayor the street needs cleaning.
The men and women watched the man give the birdseed to the bird.
the street that runs all the way through my hometown
A car is parked right outside my house. Since it's difficult to find a parking space, I hope the car won't be there later.
the cow jumped over the moon (1760 (date first published), Mother Goose's Melody (the book title), "Hey Diddle Diddle" (the rhyme title))
I sleep in the bedroom!
gloss: Used before a noun phrase, including a simple noun
pos: article
examples: No one knows how many galaxies there are in the universe.
God save the Queen!
Let's go to the park!
I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the ending, saith the Lord, which is, and which was, and which is to come, the Almighty.
gloss: Used before a noun phrase, including a simple noun
pos: article
examples: No one in the whole country had seen it before.
I don't think I'll get to it until the morning.
Take me to the airport/station/hospital/office/park/match/meeting/et cetera.
gloss: Used before a noun phrase, including a simple noun
pos: article
examples: A stone hit him on the head. (= “A stone hit him on his head.”)
(informal) How's the wife? (= "How is your wife?")
gloss: Used before a noun phrase, including a simple noun
pos: article
tags: colloquial
examples: How's the Sal today?
gloss: Used before a noun phrase, including a simple noun
pos: article
examples: square the circle; feel the pinch; beat around the bush; throw the baby out with the bathwater
gloss: Used before a noun phrase, including a simple noun
pos: article
examples: That is the hospital to go to for heart surgery.
"Good Heavens, man! Why, he is the authority. If you want pure laboratory experiments those are the books."
“New Kid On The Block” doubles as a terrific showcase for the Sea Captain who, in the grand tradition of Simpsons supporting characters, quickly goes from being a stereotype to an archetype, from being a crusty sea-captain character to the crusty sea-captain character.
gloss: Used before a noun phrase, including a simple noun
pos: article
examples: "My name," he said, "is Hercule Poirot." "Not," the Commissary stammered, "not the Hercule Poirot?"
‘[…] he introduced us to Gwenog Jones.’ ‘Gwenog Jones?’ said Ron, his eyes widening under his own goggles. ‘The Gwenog Jones? Captain of the Holyhead Harpies?’
gloss: Used before a noun phrase, including a simple noun
pos: article
examples: That was the juiciest apple pie ever.
May the better man win.
Starting today through September 30, guests can wow their taste buds with the "swiciest" sensation of the season, the Nashville-Style Hot Honey Pizza.
gloss: Used before a noun phrase, including a simple noun
pos: article
examples: Stern and God-fearing, the Afrikaner takes his religion seriously.
The downy woodpecker can be found in the same environments as the hairy woodpecker.
gloss: Used before a noun phrase, including a simple noun
pos: article
examples: The Bushes have held political office for several decades and the Kennedys longer.
gloss: Used with an adjective
pos: article
examples: That apple pie was the best.
gloss: Used with an adjective
pos: article
examples: Feed the hungry, clothe the naked, comfort the afflicted, and afflict the comfortable.
One doesn't choose the color of one's chess pieces; the white are assigned to the player who moves first.
gloss: Used with an adjective
pos: article
examples: the Irish are...; the Chinese are...; the French are...
gloss: With a comparative or with more and a verb phrase, establishes a correlation with one or more other such comparatives.
pos: adv
tags: not-comparable
examples: The hotter(,) the better. (comma usually omitted in such very short expressions)
The more I think about it, the weaker it looks.
The more money donated, the more books purchased, and the more happy children.
It looks weaker and weaker, the more I think about it.
gloss: With a comparative, and often with for it, indicates a result more like said comparative. This can be negated with none.
pos: adv
tags: not-comparable
examples: It was a difficult time, but I’m the wiser for it.
It was a difficult time, and I’m {none - not any} the wiser for it.
I'm much the wiser for having had a difficult time like that.
gloss: Beyond all others.
pos: adv
tags: not-comparable
examples: We went the furthest under her leadership.
They trusted him the most.
gloss: For each; per.
pos: prep
examples: valued at half a pound the bushel; paying seven dollars the year interest
Next morning I was up at an early hour, to see the market held near the water gate. The beef was excellent: but at the high prices of ten-pence and one shilling the pound; mutton at the same price; fowls a dollar the couple, and showing “more feathers than flesh.”
Synonyms: le
Derived words: all the time
Jack the Ripper
the heck
the hell
the man
the one
th'other
I'm not the one
Proverbs using the
Idioms using the
nevertheless
nonetheless
Translations:
lang: Afrikaans
word: die
lang: Albanian
word: -a
lang: Albanian
word: -i
lang: Albanian
word: -u
lang: Guerrero Amuzgo
word: i'
lang: Guerrero Amuzgo
word: eⁿ'
lang: Ao
word: -ji (Chungli)
lang: Arabic
word: الـ
roman: al-
lang: Arabic
word: الـ
roman: el
lang: Aragonese
word: lo
lang: Aramaic
word: ־א
lang: Aramaic
word: ־י
lang: Aramaic
word: ־תא
lang: Armenian
word: -ը
roman: -ə
lang: Armenian
word: -ն
roman: -n
lang: Aromanian
word: -lu
lang: Asturian
word: el
lang: Basque
word: -a
lang: Belizean Creole
word: di
lang: Bengali
word: formality and animacy
lang: Bangla
word: -রা
roman: -ra
lang: Bangla
word: -এরা
roman: -era
lang: Bangla
word: -গুলা
roman: -gula
lang: Bangla
word: -গুলো
roman: -gulō
lang: Bangla
word: -টা
roman: -ṭa
lang: Bangla
word: -টি
roman: -ṭi
lang: Central Bikol
word: an
lang: Breton
word: al
lang: Breton
word: an
lang: Breton
word: ar
lang: Catalan
word: el
lang: Catalan
word: la
lang: Catalan
word: l' els m pl les
lang: Catalan
word: es
lang: Catalan
word: sa
lang: Catalan
word: es
lang: Catalan
word: ets
lang: Catalan
word: sos
lang: Catalan
word: ses
lang: Chuukese
word: ewe
lang: Chuukese
word: we
lang: Cornish
word: an
lang: Dalmatian
word: el
lang: Dutch
word: de
lang: Dutch
word: het
lang: Old Dutch
word: thie
lang: Ancient Egyptian
word: pA (pꜣ)
lang: Esperanto
word: la
lang: Ewe
word: lá
lang: Ewe
word: -á
lang: Faroese
word: -in
lang: Faroese
word: tann
lang: Faroese
word: hin
lang: Finnish
word: se
lang: French
word: le
lang: French
word: la
lang: French
word: les
lang: French
word: l'
lang: West-Frisian
word: de
lang: Friulian
word: il
lang: Friulian
word: la
lang: Friulian
word: l'
lang: Friulian
word: i
lang: Friulian
word: lis
lang: Galician
word: o
lang: Galician
word: a
lang: Galician
word: os
lang: Galician
word: as
lang: Old Georgian
word: იგი
roman: igi
lang: German
word: der
lang: German
word: die
lang: German
word: das
lang: German
word: de
lang: Central Franconian
word: dä
lang: German
word: dr
lang: Gothic
word: 𐍃𐌰
roman: sa
lang: Greek
word: ο
roman: o
lang: Ancient Greek
word: ὁ
roman: ho
lang: Greek
word: ὁ
roman: ho
lang: Hajong
word: -ৰৗ
lang: Hawaiian
word: ka
lang: Hawaiian
word: ke
lang: Hawaiian
word: nā
lang: Hebrew
word: ה־
roman: ha-
lang: Hungarian
word: a
lang: Hungarian
word: az
lang: Icelandic
word: -inn
lang: Icelandic
word: hinn
lang: Ido
word: la
lang: Ido
word: le
lang: Ilocano
word: dagiti
lang: Ilocano
word: ti
lang: Ilocano
word: iti
lang: Ilocano
word: kadagiti
lang: Ilocano
word: da
lang: Ilocano
word: ni
lang: Ilocano
word: kada
lang: Ilocano
word: ken ni
lang: Indonesian
word: si
lang: Indonesian
word: sang
lang: Indonesian
word: itu
lang: Indonesian
word: al
lang: Indonesian
word: -nya
lang: Interlingua
word: le
lang: Irish
word: an
lang: Irish
word: na
lang: Old Irish
word: in
lang: Old Irish
word: a
lang: Isoko
word: na
lang: Istriot
word: el
lang: Italian
word: il
lang: Italian
word: lo
lang: Italian
word: la
lang: Italian
word: l'
lang: Italian
word: i
lang: Italian
word: gli
lang: Italian
word: le
lang: Japanese
word: その
roman: sono
lang: Japanese
word: 正に
roman: masani
lang: Japanese
word: 正しく
roman: masashiku
lang: Jarawa
word: ɖi
lang: Kankanaey
word: din
lang: Kankanaey
word: si
lang: Kankanaey
word: san
lang: Kankanaey
word: nan
lang: Kankanaey
word: isdin
lang: Kankanaey
word: ken
lang: Kankanaey
word: issan
lang: Kankanaey
word: isnan
lang: Kankanaey
word: is
lang: Ladin
word: l
lang: Ladino
word: איל
roman: el
lang: Latin
word: ille
lang: Latin
word: ly
lang: Latin
word: ille
lang: Latin
word: ipse
lang: Low German
word: de
lang: Malay
word: sang
lang: Malay
word: -nya
lang: Malay
word: itu
lang: Malay
word: ini
lang: Malay
word: si
lang: Maltese
word: il-
lang: Māori
word: te
lang: Māori
word: ngā
lang: Marshallese
word: eo
lang: Marshallese
word: ro
lang: Marshallese
word: ko
lang: Middle English
word: þe
lang: Middle English
word: the
lang: Mirandese
word: l
lang: Mòcheno
word: der
lang: Mòcheno
word: de
lang: Mòcheno
word: s
lang: Mòcheno
word: de
lang: Norman
word: l'
lang: Norwegian Bokmål
word: det
lang: Norwegian Bokmål
word: den
lang: Norwegian Bokmål
word: -et
lang: Norwegian Bokmål
word: -en
lang: Norwegian Bokmål
word: -a
lang: Norwegian Nynorsk
word: det
lang: Norwegian Nynorsk
word: den
lang: Norwegian Nynorsk
word: -et
lang: Norwegian Nynorsk
word: -en
lang: Norwegian Nynorsk
word: -a
lang: Occitan
word: lo
lang: Occitan
word: eth m la (Pyrenean Gascon)
lang: Occitan
word: era (Pyrenean Gascon)
lang: Occitan
word: los
lang: Occitan
word: eths (Pyrenean Gascon)
lang: Occitan
word: las
lang: Occitan
word: eras (Pyrenean Gascon)
lang: Occitan
word: es
lang: Old English
word: sē
lang: Old Saxon
word: thē
lang: O'odham
word: g
lang: Ossetian
word: и
roman: i
lang: Persian
word: را for definite direct object
roman: râ
lang: Pipil
word: ne
lang: Pitcairn-Norfolk
word: t'
lang: Portuguese
word: o
lang: Portuguese
word: a
lang: Portuguese
word: os
lang: Portuguese
word: as
lang: Rapa Nui
word: te
lang: Romani
word: o
lang: Romani
word: i
lang: Romani
word: e
lang: Romanian
word: -ul
lang: Romanian
word: -a
lang: Romanian
word: cel
lang: Romanian
word: cea
lang: Romansh
word: il
lang: Romansh
word: la
lang: Romansh
word: l'
lang: Romansh
word: ils
lang: Romansh
word: las
lang: Samoan
word: le
lang: Sanskrit
word: स
lang: Sanskrit
word: सा
roman: sā
lang: Sanskrit
word: तद्
roman: tad
lang: Sardinian
word: su
lang: Sardinian
word: sa
lang: Scots
word: the
lang: Scottish Gaelic
word: an
lang: Sicilian
word: lu
lang: Spanish
word: el
lang: Spanish
word: la
lang: Spanish
word: los
lang: Spanish
word: las
lang: Spanish
word: lo
lang: Swahili
word: ya
lang: Swedish
word: den
lang: Swedish
word: -en
lang: Tagalog
word: ang
lang: Tok Pisin
word: dispela
lang: Tongan
word: te
lang: Tuvaluan
word: te
lang: Venetan
word: el
lang: Volapük
word: hiel
lang: Volapük
word: jiel
lang: Walloon
word: li
lang: Walloon
word: el
lang: Welsh
word: y
lang: Woiwurrung
word: koogik
lang: Yiddish
word: דער
roman: der
lang: Yiddish
word: די
roman: di
lang: Yiddish
word: דאָס
roman: dos
lang: Yiddish
word: די
roman: di
lang: Zazaki
word: be (diq)
lang: Zazaki
word: ebe (diq)
lang: Zazaki
word: eve (diq)
lang: French
word: le
lang: German
word: den
lang: Italian
word: li
lang: Italian
word: lì
lang: Afrikaans
word: die
lang: German
word: dieser
lang: Japanese
word: その
roman: sono
lang: Persian
word: این
lang: Polish
word: ten
lang: Portuguese
word: o
lang: Tok Pisin
word: dispela
lang: Afrikaans
word: die
lang: Bulgarian
word: -те
roman: -te
lang: Dutch
word: de
lang: French
word: les
lang: German
word: der
lang: Greek
word: ο
roman: o
lang: Hungarian
word: a
lang: Italian
word: i
lang: Macedonian
word: -те
roman: -te
lang: Portuguese
word: o
lang: Sanskrit
word: स
lang: Sanskrit
word: सा
roman: sā
lang: Sanskrit
word: तद्
roman: tad
lang: Spanish
word: los
lang: Spanish
word: las
lang: Swedish
word: den
lang: Afrikaans
word: die
lang: Dutch
word: de
lang: Esperanto
word: la
lang: French
word: le
lang: Galician
word: o
lang: German
word: der
lang: Greek
word: ο
roman: o
lang: Italian
word: il
lang: Ladin
word: l
lang: Portuguese
word: o
lang: Spanish
word: el
lang: Swedish
word: den
lang: Venetan
word: el
lang: Chinese Mandarin
word: 越……越……
roman: yuè...yuè...
lang: Chinese Mandarin
word: 愈……愈……
roman: yù...yù...
lang: French
word: comp.
lang: French
word: colloquial or regional usage
lang: Korean
word: -을수록
roman: -eulsurok
lang: Malay
word: semakin..., semakin...
lang: Malay
word: lagi..., lagi...