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El gel está al lado del champú.

El gel está al lado del champú.
The shower gel is next to the shampoo.
From Lesson 224:Getting ready (secarse, el jabón)·Spanish (Spain)

Questions & Answers about El gel está al lado del champú.

Why is it del champú and not de el champú?
In Spanish, when the preposition de is followed by the masculine article el, they must combine into the contraction del. You cannot keep them separate. Since champú is a masculine noun, de + el champú becomes del champú.
Does al lado del literally mean "to the side of the"?
Yes! The phrase al lado de translates to "next to", but literally it breaks down as a (to/at) + el (the) + lado (side) + de (of). Because a + el always contracts to al, we get the set phrase al lado de.
Why does champú have a written accent mark?
Spanish words ending in a vowel naturally place the spoken stress on the second-to-last syllable. Because the spoken stress in champú falls on the final syllable instead, it breaks the standard rule and requires a written accent on the ú to show you where to put the emphasis.
Do I pronounce gel the same way I do in English?
No, the pronunciation is different. In Spanish, when the letter g comes directly before an e or an i, it makes a strong, breathy "h" sound. It sounds similar to the "h" in "hotel", so gel is pronounced more like "hel".

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