A plus sign between the Spanish words 'a' and 'el' leading to the word 'al', showing how they combine.

al

/ahl/

ContractionA1

to the?before a masculine singular noun

Also:at the?referring to a point or location,upon / on?used with a verb to mean 'when something happens'

📝 In Action

Voy al cine esta noche.

I'm going to the movies tonight.

Le di el regalo al niño.

I gave the gift to the boy.

Llegamos al final del libro.

We arrived at the end of the book.

Al llegar a casa, me quité los zapatos.

Upon arriving home, I took off my shoes.

Related Words

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

💡 Grammar Points

The 'a + el' Shortcut

'Al' is simply a required shortcut for 'a el'. You can't say 'Voy a el cine'; you must say 'Voy al cine'.

Only for Masculine 'the'

This shortcut only works with 'el' (the masculine 'the'). It doesn't work for 'la', 'los', or 'las'. For those, you keep the words separate: 'a la playa', 'a los parques'.

'Upon Doing Something'

You can use 'al' followed by a verb's base form (like 'llegar') to mean 'upon arriving' or 'when arriving'. For example, 'Al llegar, vi a mi amigo' means 'Upon arriving, I saw my friend'.

❌ Common Pitfalls

Forgetting the Contraction

Mistake: "Voy a el parque."

Correction: Voy al parque. In Spanish, 'a' and 'el' must always combine to form 'al'.

Using 'al' with Feminine Words

Mistake: "Vamos al playa."

Correction: Vamos a la playa. Because 'playa' is feminine, it uses 'la', so you keep 'a' and 'la' separate.

⭐ Usage Tips

Check the Noun's Gender

Before you say 'a el', pause and remember to squish them together to make 'al'. Always check if the noun that follows is masculine and singular.

✏️ Quick Practice

💡 Quick Quiz: al

Question 1 of 3

Which sentence is grammatically correct?

📚 More Resources

Word Family

a(to, at) - preposition

el(the) - article

del(of the, from the) - contraction

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'.