# Why do we say "the" in front of some countries? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [July 19, 2011, 1:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-we-say-the-in-front-of-some-countries/589576 "2011-07-19T13:46:35Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Acsenray](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/acsenray/32/4519_2.png) [@Acsenray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acsenray)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2011, 4:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-we-say-the-in-front-of-some-countries/589576/41 "2011-07-20T16:19:43Z")
Nevermind. My brain automatically filled in the “the” before “United States.” I thought Lobelia was asking about the “the” in front of “president.” ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2011, 4:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-we-say-the-in-front-of-some-countries/589576/42 "2011-07-20T16:59:15Z")
> [@Lobelia\_Overhill](#): > > I didn’t say they were, I was suggesting that it was a similar idea to… No, it’s not. It has nothing to do with it. Use of “a” vs “an” is based on whether the following word begins with a vowel or a consonant sound. Use of “the” before a country doesn’t depend on whether the name begins with a vowel sound at all. ---
**Author:** ![Leo\_Bloom](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leo_bloom/32/10377_2.png) [@Leo\_Bloom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leo_Bloom)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2011, 6:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-we-say-the-in-front-of-some-countries/589576/43 "2011-07-22T18:04:08Z")
> [@Omar\_Little](#): > > “a apple” is never correct. That’s not even a personal preference thing. That law is a ass. ---
**Author:** ![Ludovic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7ab992/32.png) [@Ludovic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ludovic)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2011, 6:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-we-say-the-in-front-of-some-countries/589576/44 "2011-07-22T18:05:14Z")
> [@Colibri](#): > > Use of “the” before a country doesn’t depend on whether the name begins with a vowel sound at all. Although the pronunciation of “the” might… ---
**Author:** ![Laggard](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/9de053/32.png) [@Laggard](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Laggard)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2011, 7:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-we-say-the-in-front-of-some-countries/589576/45 "2011-07-22T19:06:46Z")
Why do Brits leave off “the” in the sentence, he went to the hospital? ---
**Author:** ![tellyworth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/977dab/32.png) [@tellyworth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tellyworth)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2011, 10:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-we-say-the-in-front-of-some-countries/589576/46 "2011-07-22T22:36:35Z")
> [@Laggard](#): > > Why do Brits leave off “the” in the sentence, he went to the hospital? Same reason you might omit “the” in “he went to the school”: one refers to a particular school, the other does not. ---
**Author:** ![LynnM](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/b2d939/32.png) [@LynnM](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LynnM)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2011, 2:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-we-say-the-in-front-of-some-countries/589576/47 "2011-07-24T14:19:57Z")
Tangential+slightly off-topic: I always thought “The Dalles” is a cool name for a city. Any other US cities/towns that include article “The”? > **[The Dalles, Oregon](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Dalles_Oregon)** > > The Dalles (/ˈdælz/), formally the City of The Dalles and also called Dalles City, is an inland port and the largest city in Wasco County, Oregon, United States. The population was 16,010 at the 2020 census, and it is the largest city in Oregon along the Columbia River outside the Portland Metropolitan Area. The Dalles is 75 miles (121 km) east of Portland, within the Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area. > The area around The Dalles is known to have been a trading center for Native Ameri... > **[State of Oregon: Blue Book - Explore the Oregon Blue Book](https://sos.oregon.gov/blue-book/Pages/default.aspx)** > > The official website of the Oregon Secretary of State ---
**Author:** ![yabob](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yabob/32/2821_2.png) [@yabob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/yabob)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2011, 3:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-we-say-the-in-front-of-some-countries/589576/48 "2011-07-24T15:59:12Z")
> [@LynnM](#): > > … > Any other US cities/towns that include article “The”? The Plains, Ohio The Woodlands, Texas Both census-designated places, rather than incorporated towns. You can get those two by going to Google Maps, typing in "The " and looking at matched names. Actually, we got LOTS of 'em: Los Angeles, Las Vegas, Los Gatos, Los Altos … ---
**Author:** ![FrustratedIdiot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/77aa72/32.png) [@FrustratedIdiot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FrustratedIdiot)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2011, 5:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-we-say-the-in-front-of-some-countries/589576/49 "2011-07-24T17:23:31Z")
> [@LynnM](#): > > Tangential+slightly off-topic: > > I always thought “The Dalles” is a cool name for a city. > > Any other US cities/towns that include article “The”? > > [The Dalles, Oregon - Wikipedia](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Dalles_Oregon) > [State of Oregon: Blue Book - Explore the Oregon Blue Book](http://bluebook.state.or.us/local/cities/sy/thedalles.htm) The Colony, Texas. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-we-say-the-in-front-of-some-countries/589576.md?page=2)