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Spanish grammar lessons › Level A1 › Spanish articles, gender and agreement

a + el = al, de + el = del

The two compulsory contractions: voy al cine, vengo del trabajo

Part of the free A1 Spanish course. Press the speaker next to an example to hear it.

Two compulsory contractions

A preposition is a small linking word like to, from, of. Two Spanish prepositions join with the article el (masculine “the”):

  • a (to, at) + el = al
  • de (of, from) + el = del

These are the only two contractions in Spanish, and they are compulsory: you can't write a el or de el.

  • Voy al cine con mis amigos.I'm going to the cinema with my friends.
  • ¿Vas al supermercado?Are you going to the supermarket?
  • Mi padre vuelve del trabajo a las siete.My father comes back from work at seven.
  • Somos del norte de España.We're from the north of Spain.
  • El coche del profesor es rojo.The teacher's car is red.

Only with el

La, los, las never contract:

ellaloslas
aala laa losa las
dedelde lade losde las
  • Vamos a la playa y después al parque.We go to the beach and then to the park.
  • Los libros de los niños están en la mesa.The children's books are on the table.

Possession: de + owner

Spanish has no 's. “The teacher's car” is el coche del profesor (the car of the teacher). With a name: la casa de Ana.

Not with él, and not with El in names

Él with an accent means “he”. It is a pronoun, not the article, so it never contracts:

  • Este bolígrafo es de él.This pen is his.

When El is part of a name, it's written separately (though it sounds the same): Viajo a El Salvador, Soy de El Puerto de Santa María.

The personal a contracts too

Veo al médico, Llamo al director (The personal a: Veo a María).

Common mistakes

  • Voy a el cine → Voy al cine.
  • La casa de el profesor → La casa del profesor.
  • Voy al playa → Voy a la playa. Only el contracts.
  • als, dels don't exist → a los, de los.
  • Es del él → Es de él. The pronoun él doesn't contract.

Practice

  1. Los sábados vamos _____ mercado.
    On Saturdays we go to the market.
    Show the answer

    al

  2. Vengo _____ gimnasio.
    I'm coming from the gym.
    Show the answer

    del

  3. Mañana voy _____ playa con mi familia.
    to the beach
    Show the answer

    a la — La doesn't contract: a la.

  4. La puerta _____ garaje está abierta.
    Options: del · de el · de la
    Show the answer

    del — El garaje is masculine: de + el = del.

In the app, this lesson is taught one idea at a time with the examples read aloud, followed by questions that explain the rule when you get one wrong. It then comes back for review on later days, until you've answered it correctly on three separate days.
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