Skipping the Noun
In English, when we compare things that belong to different people, we often use an apostrophe s to avoid repeating the noun. For example, we say "my sweater is dirty, but my brother's is clean."
In Spanish, you can't use an apostrophe s. Instead, you replace the repeated noun with a definite article (el, la, los, or las) followed by de.
| My sweater is dirty, but my brother's is clean. | Mi suéter está sucio, pero el de mi hermano está limpio. |
Matching Gender and Number
The article you choose must perfectly match the gender and number of the noun you are skipping.
- el de (masculine singular)
- la de (feminine singular)
- los de (masculine plural)
- las de (feminine plural)
For instance, since corbata (tie) is feminine and singular, you use la de:
| Your tie is new, but your brother's is very old. | Tu corbata es nueva, pero la de tu hermano es muy vieja. |
If you are talking about plural nouns, like calcetines (socks) or toallas (towels), use los de or las de:
| My socks are black, but my sister's are white. | Mis calcetines son negros, pero los de mi hermana son blancos. |
| We are going to the beach with my towels and my friend's. | Vamos a la playa con mis toallas y las de mi amiga. |
"The One Belonging To..."
You can think of this structure as meaning "the one(s) belonging to" or "the one(s) of." It is incredibly common in everyday conversation, whether you are picking out an outfit or looking for lost items.
| I would like to buy a hat like yours. | Me gustaría comprar un sombrero como el de usted. |
| I am looking for my passport and my husband's. | Estoy buscando mi pasaporte y el de mi esposo. |