99. There are, however, cases in which the article is often used in Esperanto, though omitted in English, and also _vice versa_.
(_a_). It is usually used before nouns denoting the _totality_ of persons or things.
Examples.--_La homo estas mortema_ = Man is mortal. _La homoj estas mortemaj_ = Men are mortal. _La medicino estas scienco kaj la pentrado arto_ = Medicine is a science and painting an art. _Kelkaj kuracistoj pretendas, ke la vino estas malutila al la sano_ = Some doctors maintain that wine is hurtful to health. _Sen la akvo nia terglobo rapide fariĝus dezerto_ = Without water our earth would rapidly become a desert. _La nokto estis tiel nigra, kiel la peĉo_ = The night was as dark as pitch. _La azenoj amas la kardojn_ = Donkeys love thistles. _La vento kaŭzas ofte teruran detruon en kelkaj landoj_ = Wind often causes terrible ruin in some countries. (In this case _la vento_ means wind in general, spoken of as a whole, but "To-day we shall have wind" (meaning some wind) would be: _Hodiaŭ ni havos venton_.) _Hajlo falas_ = Hail is falling (viz., some hail), but _La hajlo estas tre malutila al la vinbero_ = Hail is very injurious to grapes (to the grape), means hail in general.
(_b_). It is not used before proper names, for the simple reason that they cannot be more definite than they are in themselves. In English it is sometimes used and sometimes not.[13]
Examples.--_Danubo_ = The Danube. _Tibro_ = The Tiber. _Mediteraneo_ = The Mediterranean. _Alpoj_ = The Alps. _Unuiĝintaj Ŝtatoj Amerikaj_ (or, _Usono_) = The United States of America.
[13] This is too strict. In practice the definite article is often used before proper names, and one can say (e.g.) _la Alpoj_, _la Mediteraneo_, etc.
(_c_). If, however, a proper name is preceded by a qualifying word, the article is used.
Examples. _La glora poeto, Dante_ = The famous poet, Dante. _La imperiestro de Japanujo_ = The Emperor of Japan. _La bona reĝino Viktorio_ = The good Queen Victoria.
100. The article may be used sometimes where, in English, we use a possessive pronoun.
Examples.--_Li havas doloron en la kapo_ = He has a pain in his (the) head. _Ŝi prezentis al mi la manon_ = She offered me her hand. _Mi malkovris la okulojn_ = I uncovered my eyes (see also par. 134(_a_)).