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al

ahl/al/

“al” means “to the” in Spanish (before a masculine singular noun).

to the

Also: at the, upon / on
A plus sign between the Spanish words 'a' and 'el' leading to the word 'al', showing how they combine.

📝 In Action

Voy al cine esta noche.

A1

I'm going to the movies tonight.

Le di el regalo al niño.

A1

I gave the gift to the boy.

Llegamos al final del libro.

A2

We arrived at the end of the book.

Al llegar a casa, me quité los zapatos.

B1

Upon arriving home, I took off my shoes.

Word Connections

Common Collocations

  • al cine – to the movies
  • al supermercado – to the supermarket
  • al final – at the end
  • al principio – at the beginning
  • al lado de – next to

Idioms & Expressions

  • al aire libre – outdoors, in the open air
  • al pie de la letra – literally, exactly as said
  • al fin y al cabo – in the end, after all

Translate to Spanish

Words that translate to "al" in Spanish:

at the→to the→

✏️ Quick Practice

Quick Quiz: al

Question 1 of 3

Which sentence is grammatically correct?

📚 More Resources

👥 Word Family▼
🎵 Rhymes▼
📚 Etymology▼

A mandatory contraction of the preposition 'a' (from Latin 'ad', meaning 'to' or 'toward') and the masculine singular definite article 'el' (from Latin 'ille', meaning 'that').

First recorded: Medieval Spanish

Cognates (Related words)

Portuguese: aoCatalan: alGalician: ao

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Frequently Asked Questions

Is there another contraction like 'al'?

Yes! The other mandatory contraction in Spanish is 'del', which is a combination of 'de' (of/from) and 'el' (the). Just like 'al', you must use 'del' instead of 'de el'.

Do I use 'al' before a masculine word that starts with 'a' or 'ha'?

Yes, you still use 'al'. For example, you would say 'viajar al extranjero' (to travel abroad) or 'ir al hospital' (to go to the hospital). The rule for using 'el' instead of 'la' before feminine words starting with 'a-' (like 'el agua') does not affect the 'a + el' contraction.

Is 'al' ever written as two separate words, 'a el'?

Almost never in modern Spanish. The only rare exception is when 'El' is part of a proper name, like a newspaper or a place. For example, 'una visita a El Salvador' (a visit to El Salvador). For learners, it's best to always remember the rule: 'a' + 'el' = 'al'.