Combining prepositions with el
Spanish has exactly two mandatory contractions. When the prepositions a (to) or de (from/of) appear right before the masculine singular article el (the), they merge together.
The contraction al
When a meets el, they combine to form al (to the). Use this when you are going to or entering a masculine place.
- a
- el = al
| We are going to the stadium today. | Nosotros vamos al estadio hoy. |
| The doctor enters the new building. | El doctor entra al edificio nuevo. |
The contraction del
Similarly, when de meets el, they merge into del (from the / of the). Use this to talk about returning from a place or describing where something is located in relation to a masculine noun.
- de
- el = del
| They are returning from the stadium. | Ellos regresan del estadio. |
| The park is far from the old neighborhood. | El parque está lejos del barrio viejo. |
You can even use both in the same sentence to talk about traveling from one location to another!
| We are walking from the zoo to the neighborhood. | Nosotros caminamos del zoológico al barrio. |
Just remember: these contractions only happen with the masculine singular el. The feminine la and the plurals los and las never contract (for example: a la, de los).
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