Contraction of articles

When ‘de’ (meaning ‘of’ or ‘from’) is followed by ‘el’ (the masculine singular definite article), they contract into ‘del’ (meaning ‘of the’ or ‘from the’). For example:
- Vengo del cine. (I come from the cinema.) Here, de el becomes del.
- La llave del coche (The car key). Here, de el becomes del, meaning ‘of the car.’
When ‘a’ (meaning ‘to’) is followed by ‘el’ (the masculine singular definite article), they contract into ‘al’ (meaning ‘to the’). For example:
- Voy al parque. (I’m going to the park.) Here, a el becomes al.
- Vamos al trabajo. (We’re going to work.) Here, a el becomes al, literally meaning ‘to the work.’

Sign up to unlock the rest of this topic — plus every other topic, video, flashcard set and eBook guide in your SnapRevise+ subscription.

Cancel anytime — instant access the moment you sign up.