Contractions (al, del) in Spanish

Overview

Spanish has only two mandatory contractions, and they are beautifully simple: a + el = al and de + el = del. Unlike English, which has dozens of contractions (don't, won't, I'm), Spanish limits this phenomenon to just these two combinations. They are not optional -- you must use them every time the prepositions a or de appear directly before the masculine singular definite article el.

These contractions come up constantly at the CEFR A1 level because a (to) and de (from, of) are two of the most common prepositions in the language. Whether you are saying where you are going, where you come from, or who something belongs to, you will encounter al and del multiple times in every conversation.

How It Works

The two contractions

Preposition + Article	Contraction	Example
a + el	al	Voy al cine. (I'm going to the cinema.)
de + el	del	Vengo del trabajo. (I'm coming from work.)

When contractions do NOT happen

The contractions only occur with the masculine singular article el. They never happen with la, los, las, or when el is part of a proper name:

Combination	Result	Example
a + la	a la	Voy a la tienda.
a + los	a los	Llamo a los niños.
a + las	a las	Voy a las montañas.
de + la	de la	Vengo de la escuela.
de + los	de los	El libro de los niños.
de + las	de las	La casa de las flores.
de + El (proper name)	de El	Soy de El Salvador.

Common uses of al

Pattern	Example
Going somewhere	Voy al supermercado.
Arriving	Llego al aeropuerto.
Time expressions	Al final del día. (At the end of the day.)

Common uses of del

Pattern	Example
Origin/source	Vengo del trabajo.
Possession	El coche del profesor. (The teacher's car.)
Part of something	El final del libro. (The end of the book.)

Examples in Context

Spanish	English	Note
Voy al cine.	I'm going to the cinema.	a + el = al
Vengo del trabajo.	I'm coming from work.	de + el = del
Es el libro del profesor.	It's the professor's book.	de + el = del
Voy a la tienda.	I'm going to the store.	no contraction with la
La puerta del baño.	The bathroom door.	de + el = del
Llego al hotel a las tres.	I arrive at the hotel at three.	a + el = al
El color del cielo.	The color of the sky.	de + el = del
Cerca del parque.	Near the park.	de + el = del
Vamos al restaurante.	We're going to the restaurant.	a + el = al
Soy de El Salvador.	I'm from El Salvador.	no contraction with proper name

Common Mistakes

Writing a el or de el separately

• Wrong: Voy a el parque.
• Right: Voy al parque.
• Why: The contraction is mandatory. Writing a el as two words is a grammatical error in Spanish.

Contracting with other articles

• Wrong: Voy ala tienda. or Voy a'la tienda.
• Right: Voy a la tienda.
• Why: Contractions only happen with the masculine singular el. The feminine la, the plurals los and las never contract.

Contracting with proper names

• Wrong: Soy del Salvador.
• Right: Soy de El Salvador.
• Why: When El is part of a proper name (El Salvador, El Cairo), no contraction occurs. The capital letter is your clue.

Practice Tips

• Catch yourself in real time. Every time you say a or de, glance at the next word. If it is el, merge them into al or del. This quick mental check becomes automatic with practice.

• Read aloud. Pick any Spanish text and read it out loud, paying special attention to how al and del flow naturally. You will notice they appear on almost every page.

Related Concepts

• Prerequisite: Definite Articles -- Understanding el, la, los, las is essential before learning contractions