Contractions in Spanish: AL and DEL
In Spanish, contractions are formed when a preposition combines with the definite article “el” (the). There are only two contractions in Spanish: AL and DEL.
1. AL (a + el)
The contraction AL is formed by combining the preposition “a” (to) with the definite article “el” (the). This contraction is used when indicating direction or movement towards a masculine singular noun.
- a + el = al
| SENTENCE | PHONEMIC PRONUNCIATION | |
| Vamos al parque. | /ˈβa.mos al ˈpaɾ.ke/ | (We are going to the park.) |
| Él va al médico. | /el βa al ˈme.ði.ko/ | (He is going to the doctor.) |
2. DEL (de + el)
The contraction DEL is formed by combining the preposition “de” (of/from) with the definite article “el” (the). This contraction is used when expressing possession or origin related to a masculine singular noun.
- de + el = del
| SENTENCE | PHONEMIC PRONUNCIATION | |
| La casa del profesor es grande. | /la ˈka.sa del pɾo.feˈsoɾ es ˈɡɾan.de/ | (The teacher’s house is big.) |
| Venimos del cine. | /βeˈni.mos del ˈθi.ne/ | (We are coming from the movies.) |
Important Notes:
- No Contraction with “La”: The contractions AL and DEL only occur with the masculine singular definite article “el.” They do not occur with the feminine singular article “la,” nor with plural articles “los” or “las.” For example, “a la,” “de la,” “a los,” “de los,” “a las,” and “de las” are never contracted.
- A and DE with EL: When “a” or “de” is followed by a word that starts with “el” (meaning “he” or “it”), no contraction occurs. For instance, “a él” and “de él” remain separate, as in “Voy a él” (I am going to him) or “El regalo es de él” (The gift is from him).