The preposition de is the most productive word in Portuguese when it comes to contractions. It merges with definite articles, indefinite articles, demonstratives, personal pronouns, and a handful of other words. Some of these contractions are obligatory in writing — failing to contract is a grammatical error. Others are optional — both the contracted and uncontracted forms are acceptable, with a slight register difference.
This page is a practical reference. Use it to look up which forms exist, which are required, and which are stylistic choices.
At a glance
| de + | Contracted form | Status |
|---|---|---|
| definite articles (o, a, os, as) | do, da, dos, das | obligatory |
| indefinite articles (um, uma, uns, umas) | dum, duma, duns, dumas | optional |
| este/esse/aquele series | deste, desse, daquele, etc. | obligatory |
| isto/isso/aquilo | disto, disso, daquilo | obligatory |
| ele/ela/eles/elas | dele, dela, deles, delas | obligatory |
| outro/outra/outros/outras | doutro, doutra, doutros, doutras | optional |
| algum/alguma/alguns/algumas | dalgum, dalguma, dalguns, dalgumas | optional |
| aqui/aí/ali | daqui, daí, dali | obligatory |
| onde | donde | optional |
The rest of this page walks through each group with full examples.
de + definite articles (obligatory)
These are the most frequent contractions in Portuguese. Every time the preposition de meets a definite article, they merge — no exceptions.
| o (m.sg.) | a (f.sg.) | os (m.pl.) | as (f.pl.) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| de | do | da | dos | das |
O carro do João está avariado.
João's car has broken down.
A chave da porta de trás está na gaveta.
The back door key is in the drawer.
Estes são os livros dos meus avós.
These are my grandparents' books.
A cor das paredes é demasiado escura.
The wall color is too dark.
Because personal names in Portuguese normally take a definite article (o João, a Maria, os Silva), and because possession is expressed with de, the contractions do and da appear in nearly every conversation.
de + indefinite articles (optional)
The preposition de can contract with um, uma, uns, umas, but it does not have to. Both forms are standard. The uncontracted form (de um) is slightly more formal and more common in writing; the contracted form (dum) is more common in speech and in novels aiming for a natural tone.
| um | uma | uns | umas | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| de | dum / de um | duma / de uma | duns / de uns | dumas / de umas |
A casa dum amigo meu fica perto daqui.
A friend of mine's house is near here.
Precisamos de uma caneta para preencher o formulário.
We need a pen to fill out the form.
Receberam notícias duns amigos que não viam há anos.
They got news from some friends they hadn't seen in years.
Both sentences below mean the same thing:
Preciso de um copo de água.
I need a glass of water. (more formal)
Preciso dum copo de água.
I need a glass of water. (more colloquial)
In formal texts — academic writing, legal documents, newspaper editorials — the full de um form is preferred. In fiction dialogue, personal emails, and spoken Portuguese, dum is equally at home.
de + demonstratives (obligatory)
Demonstratives — este (close to speaker), esse (close to listener), and aquele (far from both) — always contract with de. The same applies to the neuter demonstrative pronouns isto, isso, aquilo.
| este/a series | esse/a series | aquele/a series | |
|---|---|---|---|
| m.sg. | deste | desse | daquele |
| f.sg. | desta | dessa | daquela |
| m.pl. | destes | desses | daqueles |
| f.pl. | destas | dessas | daquelas |
| neuter | disto | disso | daquilo |
Gosto muito deste bairro, é tão calmo.
I really like this neighborhood, it's so quiet.
Não me lembro desse filme, podes contar-me?
I don't remember that film, can you tell me about it?
Já ouviste falar daquela história?
Have you heard about that story?
Gostei muito disto, obrigado.
I really enjoyed this, thank you.
Não quero saber nada disso.
I don't want to hear a word about that.
Lembro-me daquilo como se fosse ontem.
I remember it as if it were yesterday.
These contractions are always required — writing de este, de esse, de aquele, de isto, de isso, de aquilo is a mistake. The merged form is the only correct form.
de + personal pronouns (obligatory)
De contracts with the third-person personal pronouns ele, ela, eles, elas. These forms are especially useful for expressing unambiguous possession.
| ele | ela | eles | elas | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| de | dele | dela | deles | delas |
A casa dele fica no centro da cidade.
His house is in the city center.
O carro dela foi vendido na semana passada.
Her car was sold last week.
A opinião deles não me interessa nada.
Their opinion doesn't interest me at all.
As filhas delas já são crescidas.
Their daughters are grown up already.
Portuguese prefers dele / dela / deles / delas over the possessive adjectives seu / sua / seus / suas whenever ambiguity could arise. O carro seu could mean his, hers, yours (formal), or theirs; o carro dele is unambiguously his. In conversation, the contracted pronoun forms win almost every time.
Note that de does not contract with eu, tu, nós, vós, or você. You say de mim, de ti, de nós, de você. The pronoun changes form (eu → mim, tu → ti), but no contraction occurs.
Esta carta é de mim para ti.
This letter is from me to you.
Ele falou de nós na reunião.
He talked about us at the meeting.
de + outro (optional)
The indefinite outro, outra, outros, outras (another, other) contracts with de, but the uncontracted form is also acceptable.
| outro | outra | outros | outras | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| de | doutro / de outro | doutra / de outra | doutros / de outros | doutras / de outras |
Vou falar-te doutro assunto agora.
I'm going to talk to you about a different topic now.
O livro é doutra autora portuguesa.
The book is by a different Portuguese author.
Precisamos de outros voluntários para amanhã.
We need other volunteers for tomorrow.
Both doutra autora and de outra autora are correct; the contracted form doutra sounds slightly more literary. In everyday speech, de outra is at least as common.
de + algum (optional)
Like outro, the indefinite algum, alguma, alguns, algumas (some) contracts optionally.
| algum | alguma | alguns | algumas | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| de | dalgum / de algum | dalguma / de alguma | dalguns / de alguns | dalgumas / de algumas |
Precisamos dalguma ajuda para terminar o trabalho.
We need some help to finish the job.
Lembro-me dalguns pormenores, mas não de tudo.
I remember some details, but not everything.
Again: both dalguma ajuda and de alguma ajuda are fully acceptable. The contracted forms have a slightly more relaxed, speech-like feel.
de + location adverbs (obligatory)
The three-way locative system aqui / aí / ali (here / there-near-you / there-far) combines with de to mark origin or departure from a point in space. These contractions are obligatory.
| aqui | aí | ali | |
|---|---|---|---|
| de | daqui | daí | dali |
Daqui até ao teu prédio são cinco minutos a pé.
From here to your building is five minutes on foot.
Sai daí antes que caias!
Get out of there before you fall!
Dali não se vê o palco.
You can't see the stage from over there.
Note also the compound daqui a... used for future time ("in X time from now"):
Daqui a dez minutos estou em casa.
I'll be home in ten minutes.
de + onde: donde
The interrogative and relative onde (where) combines with de into donde (where from), though in modern European Portuguese most speakers simply say de onde.
De onde és?
Where are you from?
Donde vens a esta hora?
Where are you coming from at this hour? (slightly more literary)
Both forms exist; de onde is the clear default in everyday speech, while donde retains a slightly bookish tone. Either is acceptable.
Putting it together
Real sentences routinely chain several de-contractions together. Reading a paragraph of Portuguese without noticing them is the sign that the system has become automatic.
O meu avô, que nasceu dum lado da fronteira, mudou-se para a casa da minha avó em Bragança.
My grandfather, who was born on one side of the border, moved to my grandmother's house in Bragança.
A melhor recordação daquela viagem é a cara dela a ver o mar pela primeira vez.
The best memory of that trip is her face seeing the sea for the first time.
Não me lembro daqueles tempos com nostalgia — lembro-me deles como são: difíceis.
I don't remember those times with nostalgia — I remember them as they were: hard.
Common mistakes
❌ O livro de o professor está na estante.
Incorrect — de + o must contract to do.
✅ O livro do professor está na estante.
The teacher's book is on the shelf.
❌ Gosto muito de este bairro.
Incorrect — de + este must contract to deste.
✅ Gosto muito deste bairro.
I really like this neighborhood.
❌ A casa de ele fica no centro.
Incorrect — de + ele must contract to dele.
✅ A casa dele fica no centro.
His house is in the center.
❌ Lembro-me de aquilo como se fosse ontem.
Incorrect — de + aquilo must contract to daquilo.
✅ Lembro-me daquilo como se fosse ontem.
I remember that as if it were yesterday.
❌ Sai de aqui imediatamente!
Incorrect — de + aqui must contract to daqui.
✅ Sai daqui imediatamente!
Get out of here right now!
Key takeaways
- Contractions of de with definite articles, demonstratives, third-person pronouns, neuter pronouns (isto, isso, aquilo), and location adverbs are all obligatory.
- Contractions of de with indefinite articles (dum, duma), outro, and algum are optional — both forms are correct.
- The contracted forms with indefinites feel slightly more colloquial; the uncontracted forms are slightly more formal.
- De does not contract with mim, ti, nós, vós, or você — these pronouns remain separate.
- When in doubt with optional contractions, write them out (de um, de alguma) — it is always correct.
For the parallel system with em, see contractions with em. For the preposition a and its grave-accented contractions, see contractions with a.
Related Topics
- Portuguese Prepositions OverviewA1 — Introduction to Portuguese prepositions and their uses, including the obligatory contractions that set European Portuguese apart.
- The Preposition deA1 — Uses of the preposition de — origin, possession, material, partitives, time, and the verbs that require it.
- Contractions with emA1 — How the preposition em contracts with articles, demonstratives, pronouns, and indefinites — a complete reference.
- Contractions with a (the grave accent)A2 — How the preposition a contracts with articles and distal demonstratives — ao, à, aos, às, àquele — and why the grave accent matters.