a, an and the

Use a before a consonant sound and an before a vowel sound: a book, an apple, an hour, a university. Listen to the sound, not the letter.

Use the for something already known or unique: the sun, the book I bought. A and an are only for one thing; plurals take no article, or some: books, some apples.

Unlike French, English uses no article for general ideas: I like music, life is short. The same goes for meals, languages and most sports: we have lunch, she speaks Arabic.