Esperanto has a definite article
la. The
article is alike for all cases and number. There is no indefinite article. The
usage of the definite article is similar to the usage of definite articles in
western languages.
If the article is preceded by a preposition ending with a
vowel, the final
a of the article can be
dropped and replaced by an apostrophe:
la amo de la
patrino = la amo de l’patrinoH –
the love
of the mother. Rarely, mostly in poetry, the elision occurs also in other
cases if it is possible to pronounce it:
L' espero, l'
obstino kaj la
pacienco...[4] –
Hope, stubbornness and patience... [4] Cited from PMEG, however
originally from Zamenhof, L: Fundamenta Krestomatio de la Lingvo Esperanto,
p.300
