定冠词the与指示代词this,that同源,有“那(这)个”的意思,但较弱,可以和一个名词连用,来表示某个或某些特定的人或东西.
(1)特指双方都明白的人或物
Take the medicine.把药吃了.
(2)上文提到过的人或事
He bought a house.他买了幢房子.
I've been to the house.我去过那幢房子.
(3)指世界上独一无二的事物
the sun,the sky,the moon,the earth
(4)单数名词连用表示一类事物
the dollar 美元
the fox 狐狸
或与形容词或分词连用,表示一类人
the rich 富人
the living 生者
(5)用在序数词和形容词最高级,及形容词 等前面
Where do you live?你住在哪?
I live on the second floor.我住在二楼.
That's the very thing I've been looking for.那正是我要找的东西.
(6)与复数名词连用,指整个群体
They are the teachers of this school.(指全体教师)
They are teachers of this school.(指部分教师)
(7)表示所有,相当于物主代词,用在表示身体部位的名词前
She caught me by the arm.她抓住了我的手臂.
(8)用在某些有普通名词构成的国家名称,机关团体,阶级等专有名词前
the People's Republic of China 中华人民共和国
the United States 美国
(9)用在表示乐器的名词前play the violin / piano
She plays the piano.她会弹钢琴.
(10)用在姓氏的复数名词之前,表示一家人
the Greens 格林一家人(或格林夫妇)
(11) 用在由普通名词构成的专有名词前.例如:
the Great Wall
the North Street Hospital
(12)用于计量单位名词前，构成：by +the +计量单位，表示按计量单位进行……，但是如果计量单位是不可数名词，则不用定冠词the:
Most of the workers in our country are paid by the month.我们国家绝大多数工人按月拿薪。
The books here are sold by jin.这儿的书按斤卖。
(13)用在惯用语中
in the day,
in the morning...
the day before yesterday,
the next morning...
in the sky...
in the dark...
in the end...
on the whole,
by the way
