[English] The…

우리가 말하는 물건이나 사람이 명확할 때 우리는 the를 쓴다. We use the when it is clear which thing or person we mean.

  • the door / the ceiling / the floor / the light, etc. (of a room)
    “Turn off the light and close the door. (= the light and the door of the room)
  • the roof / the backyard / the kitchen / the bathroom, etc. (of a house)
    “Where’s Tom?” “In the kitchen.” (= the kitchen of this house or apartment)
  • the airport / the police station / the train station / the mayor’s office, etc. (of a city)
    Do you live far from the airport?
  • I’d like to speak to the manager, please. (= the manager of this store, etc.)
  • What is the name of this street? (This street has only one name.)
  • Who is the best player on your team?
  • Can you tell me the time, please? (= the time now)
  • My office is on the first floor. (= the first floor of the building)
  • Paris is the capital of France. (There is only one capital of France.)

the same… 을 쓸 때도 the를 쓴다.

  • We live on the same street. (not on same street)
  • “Are these two books different?” “No, they’re the same.” (not they’re same)

the sun / the moon / the world / the sky / the ocean / the country

  • The sky is blue and the sun is shining.
  • Do you live in a city or in the country?

the police

  • After the robbery, the police asked us a lot of questions.

the top / the end / the middle / the left, etc.

  • Write your name at the top of the page.
  • My house is at the end of this block.
  • The table is in the middle of the room
  • Do you arrive on the right or on the left in your country?

play the piano / the guitar / the trumpet, etc. (musical instruments)

  • Paula is learning to play the piano.

the radio

  • I listen to the radio a lot.

Television/TV, breakfast/lunch/dinner, next/last + week/month/year/summer/Monday, etc에는 the를 쓰지 않는다.

television / TV

  • I watch television/TV a lot.
  • What’s on television tonight?
    그러나 아래와 같이 a TV set을 말할 때는 쓴다.
  • Can you turn off the TV? (= the TV set)

breakfast / lunch / dinner

  • What did you have for breakfast? (not the breakfast)
  • Dinner is ready!

next / last + week / month / year / summer / Monday, etc.

  • I’m not working next week. (not the next week)
  • Did you take a vacation last summer? (not the last summer)

Go to work / go home / go to the movies 같은 아래 같은 때는 the를 쓰지 않고 말한다

(go) to work, (be) at work, start work, finish work

  • Goodbye! I’m going to work now. (not to the work)
  • I finish work at 5 o’clock every day

(go) to school, (be) at school, start school, finish school, etc.

  • What did you learn at school today? (not at the school)
  • Some children don’t like school.

(go) to college, (be) in college

  • Helen wants to go to college when she finishes high school.
  • What did you study in college?

(go) to prison / jail, (be) in prison / jail

  • Why is he in prison? What did he do?

(go) to church, (be) in / at church

  • Dave usually goes to church on Sundays.

(go) to bed, (be) in bed

  • I’m tired. I’m going to bed (not to the bed)
  • “Where’s Kim?” “She‘s in bed.”

(go) home, (be) (at) home, etc.

  • I’m tired. I’m going home. (not to home)
  • Are you going out tonight, or are you staying home? (or staying at home)

아래와 같은 때는 the를 써서 말한다.

(go to) the bank / the post office / the hospital / the station / the airport

  • “Are you going to the bank?” “No, the post office.”
  • Brian was in an accident. He had to go to the hospital.
  • Does this bus go to the airport?

(go to) the theater / the movies

  • I never go to the theater, but I go to the movies a lot.

(go to) the doctor, the dentist

  • You’re sick. Why don’t you go to the doctor?
  • I’m going to the dentist tomorrow.

일반적인 개념에는 the를 사용하지 않는다. Do not use the for general ideas.

  • I like music, especially classical music. (not the music … the classical music)
  • We don’t eat meat very often. (not the meat)
  • Life is not possible without water. (not The life … the water)
  • I hate exams. (not the exams)
  • Do you know where thy sell foreign newspapers?
  • I’m not very good at writing letters.

게임이나 스포츠the를 사용하지 않는다. Do not use the for games and sports

  • My favorite sports are tennis and skiing. (not the tennis … the skiing)

언어전공 과목에는 the를 사용하지 않는다. Do not use the for languages or academic subjects (history / geography / physics / biology, etc)

  • Do you think English is difficult? (not the English)
  • Tom’s brother is studying physics and chemistry.

일반적인 개념과 지칭하는 대상을 비교하며 그 사용에 유의하자. Flowers or the flowers?

  • Flowers are beautiful. (= flowers in general)
  • I love your garden! The flowers are beautiful. (= the flowers in this garden)
  • I don’t like cold weather. (= cold weather in general)
  • The weather isn’t very good today. (= the weather today)
  • We don’t eat fish very often. (= fish in general)
  • We had a great meal last night. The fish was excellent. (= the fish we ate last night)
  • Are you interested in history? (= history in general)
  • Are you interested in the history of your country?

장소의 이름. Names of Places

Places (continents, countries, states, islands, cities, etc.)

장소의 이름에는 일반적으로 the를 사용하지 않는다. In general we do not use the + names of places.

  • Bangkok is the capital of Thailand.
  • Easter Island is in the Pacific.
  • Peru is in South America.
  • Quebec is a province of Canada.

그러나 republic / states / kingdom으로 된 이름 안에서는 the를 사용한다. But we use the in names with republic/states/kingdom.

  • the Dominican Republic
  • the United States of America (the USA)
  • the Czech Republic
  • the United Kingdom (the UK)

the -s (plural names)

여러개의 나라, 섬, 산의 이름에는 the를 사용한다. We use the + plural names of countries / islands / mountains

  • the Netherlands
  • the Canary Islands
  • the Philippines
  • the Andes

Oceans, rivers, etc.

대양, 바다, 강, 운하의 이름에는 the를 사용한다. We use the + names of oceans / seas / rivers / canals.

  • the Pacific (Ocean)
  • the Amazon (River)
  • the Mediterranean (Sea)
  • the Panama Canal

Places in towns (street, buildings, etc.)

일반적인 거리, 스퀘어의 이름에는 the를 사용하지 않는다. In general we do not use the + names of streets, squares, etc.

  • Kevin lives on Central Avenue.
  • Times Square is in New York.
  • Where is Main Street, please?

공항, 역, 대학, 공원 등의 이름에는 the를 사용하지 않는다. We do not use the + names + airports / stations / universities / parks, etc. 그러나 of 가 들어가는 대학 이름에는 the를 사용한다.

  • Kennedy Airport
  • McGill University
  • Pennsylvania Station
  • Yosemite (National Park)

호텔, 식당, 영화관, 박물관, 기념물이나 유적의 이름에는 the를 일반적으로 사용한다. We generally use the with names of hotels, restaurants, theaters, museums, monuments.

  • the Milton (Hotel)
  • the New Broadway (Theater)
  • the Millhouse (Restaurant)
  • the Metropolitan (Museum)
  • the Springfield Cineplex (movie theater)
  • the Lincoln Memorial

the … of …

of 가 들어가는 이름에는 the를 사용한다. We use the + names with of …

  • the University of California
  • the Great Wall of China
  • the Bank of Nova Scotia
  • the Tower of London

the north / the south / the east / the west

  • “Which part of Canada did you go to?” “To the west/north.”