Spanish flag

'El señor García': titles take the article, except when you talk to the person

In English you say Mrs Torres isn't here or Doctor Pérez called with no article at all. Spanish is different. When you talk about someone and put a title in front of their name, the title needs the definite article: la señora Torres, el doctor Pérez, la profesora Martín, el rey Felipe. The article disappears only when you speak to that person directly.

English speakers tend to translate word for word and produce Señora Torres no está. Spanish speakers will understand you, but it sounds like you are calling out to Mrs Torres rather than talking about her. This small article carries the difference between mentioning someone and addressing them.

Word list
doctormA1 doctor el doctor Ruiz (about) / doctor Ruiz (to) doctorafA1 doctor la doctora Díaz (about) / doctora Díaz (to) maestrafA1 teacher la maestra Ana (about) / maestra Ana (to) maestromA1 teacher el maestro Rodríguez (about) / maestro Rodríguez (to) profesormA1 teacher el profesor Ruiz (about) / profesor Ruiz (to) profesorafA1 teacher la profesora Martín (about) / profesora Martín (to) reinafA1 queen la reina Isabel (about) / reina Isabel (to) reymA1 king el rey Felipe VI (about) / rey Felipe VI (to) arquitectafA2 architect Latin America: la arquitecta Ruiz (about) / arquitecta Ruiz (to) arquitectomA2 architect Latin America: el arquitecto López (about) / arquitecto López (to) capitánmA2 captain el capitán Garfio (about) / capitán Garfio (to) capitanafA2 captain la capitana Marvel (about) / capitana Marvel (to) ingenierafA2 engineer la ingeniera Castro (about) / ingeniera Castro (to) ingenieromA2 engineer Latin America: el ingeniero López (about) / ingeniero López (to) juezmA2 judge el juez Garzón (about) / juez Garzón (to) juezafA2 judge la jueza Alaya (about) / jueza Alaya (to) presidentemA2 president el presidente Lincoln (about) / presidente Lincoln (to) princesafA2 princess la princesa Leonor (about) / princesa Leonor (to) príncipemA2 prince el príncipe Carlos (about) / príncipe Carlos (to) profeA2 teacher informal: la profe Laura (about) / profe Laura (to) señorafA2 lady la señora Gómez (about) / señora Gómez (to) soldadomA2 soldier el soldado Ryan (about) / soldado Ryan (to) barónmB1 baron el barón Rojo (about) / barón Rojo (to) contadormB1 accountant Latin America: el contador Gómez (about) / contador Gómez (to) contadorafB1 accountant Latin America: la contadora Pérez (about) / contadora Pérez (to) directormB1 principal el director Martínez (about) / director Martínez (to) directorafB1 principal la directora López (about) / directora López (to) PapamB1 Pope lowercase before a name: el papa Francisco (about) / papa Francisco (to) primer ministromB1 prime minister el primer ministro Churchill (about) / primer ministro Churchill (to) señormB1 gentleman el señor Pérez (about) / señor Pérez (to) alcaldemB2 mayor el alcalde Gómez (about) / alcalde Gómez (to) alcaldesafB2 mayor la alcaldesa García (about) / alcaldesa García (to) cardenalmB2 cardinal el cardenal Cisneros (about) / cardenal Cisneros (to) embajadormB2 ambassador el embajador Ruiz (about) / embajador Ruiz (to) embajadorafB2 ambassador la embajadora Castro (about) / embajadora Castro (to) emperadormB2 emperor el emperador Carlos V (about) / emperador Carlos V (to) emperatrizfB2 empress la emperatriz Sissi (about) / emperatriz Sissi (to) ministromB2 minister el ministro Sánchez (about) / ministro Sánchez (to) obispomB2 bishop el obispo Romero (about) / obispo Romero (to) pastormB2 pastor el pastor Martin Luther King (about) / pastor Martin Luther King (to) vicepresidentemB2 vice president el vicepresidente Ruiz (about) / vicepresidente Ruiz (to) abadmC1 abbot el abad Oliba (about) / abad Oliba (to) arzobispomC1 archbishop el arzobispo Romero (about) / arzobispo Romero (to) baronesafC1 baroness la baronesa Thyssen (about) / baronesa Thyssen (to) gobernadormC1 governor el gobernador Díaz (about) / gobernador Díaz (to) gobernadorafC1 governor la gobernadora Díaz (about) / gobernadora Díaz (to) senadormC2 senator el senador Pérez (about) / senador Pérez (to) senadorafC2 senator la senadora Pérez (about) / senadora Pérez (to)
How it works

The rule has two sides:

Talking about someone

Article + title + name. Use el for a man and la for a woman.

Talking to someone

Title + name, with no article. This happens in greetings, questions and requests aimed at that person.

La señora Torres no está en la oficina.
(Mrs Torres isn't in the office.)
Perdone, señora Torres, ¿tiene un momento?
(Excuse me, Mrs Torres, do you have a moment?)

A quick test: if you could put a comma before the name and say it straight to the person, as in Hola, doctor Pérez, you drop the article. If the person is the subject or object of your sentence, you keep it. The article also combines with a and de in the usual way, which gives al doctor Pérez and del señor Gómez.

The words
Everyday titles

The ones you will use most are señor and señora, along with professional titles such as doctor, doctora, profesor, profesora, maestro, maestra and the informal profe. In Latin America, ingeniero and ingeniera are also common titles before a surname.

El señor Pérez llamó esta mañana.
(Mr Pérez called this morning.)
¿Está la doctora Díaz?
(Is Dr Díaz in?)
Buenos días, profesor Ruiz.
(Good morning, Professor Ruiz.)
Royalty, nobility and the Church

The same pattern applies to rey, reina, príncipe, princesa, emperador, emperatriz, barón, baronesa, papa and obispo. Note that papa is written in lowercase before a name.

El rey Felipe visitó Sevilla ayer.
(King Felipe visited Seville yesterday.)
El papa Francisco habló de la paz.
(Pope Francis spoke about peace.)
Politics and rank

The article is also needed with presidente, vicepresidente, primer ministro, ministro, alcalde, alcaldesa, senador, gobernador, capitán and capitana.

La alcaldesa García abrió la nueva biblioteca.
(Mayor García opened the new library.)
A los niños les encanta el capitán Garfio.
(Children love Captain Hook.)
Watch out

The typical mistake is leaving out the article in a statement, as in Doctor Pérez es muy amable. The correct version is El doctor Pérez es muy amable. Be careful with a and de too, since they merge with el:

Ayer vi al doctor Pérez en el mercado.
(Yesterday I saw Dr Pérez at the market.)
No title, no article

A bare name or a regnal number takes no article. You say Felipe VI but el rey Felipe VI.

Titles that never take the article

The respectful don and doña, used before first names, and san, santo and santa go without an article in every situation. Señorita, on the other hand, follows the main rule: la señorita López.

Doña Carmen vive en el tercer piso.
(Doña Carmen lives on the third floor.)
Addressing high office

People rarely say rey Felipe or papa Francisco to the person's face. Instead they use forms such as Majestad or Santidad, and for politicians they say señor presidente or señora ministra, again without an article.

Gracias, señor presidente.
(Thank you, Mr President.)
Summary

When a title comes before a name and you are talking about that person, add el or la: el señor García, la doctora Díaz, el rey Felipe. When you are speaking to the person directly, drop it: Hola, señor García. The titles don, doña and san never take the article.