El chico trabaja.

to work

Breakdown of El chico trabaja.

• el chico: the boy

Questions & Answers about El chico trabaja.

What does el mean here, and why is it used?

El is the definite article in Spanish, like the in English.

So el chico means the boy.

It is used because chico is a masculine singular noun, and the article has to match it:

• el chico = the boy
• la chica = the girl

In this sentence, el is not optional if you want to say the boy.

Why is it el and not él?

These are two different words:

• el = the
• él = he

The accent mark changes the meaning.

So:

• El chico trabaja. = The boy works / is working.
• Él trabaja. = He works / is working.

In your sentence, el has no accent because it is the article.

What does chico mean exactly?