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A visual representation of 'of the', showing a part belonging to a whole, like the door of a car.

del

/del/

ContractionA1
of the?before a masculine singular noun,from the?before a masculine singular noun

📝 In Action

Es el coche del profesor.

A1

It's the teacher's car.

Vengo del supermercado.

A1

I'm coming from the supermarket.

El color del cielo es azul.

A1

The color of the sky is blue.

Es el final del día.

A2

It's the end of the day.

Related Words

Common Collocations

  • al final del día – at the end of the day
  • el perro del vecino – the neighbor's dog
  • a través del tiempo – through time

💡 Grammar Points

The 'de' + 'el' Shortcut

'del' is a mandatory shortcut. Whenever you need to say 'de' (of/from) right before 'el' (the), you must combine them to make 'del'.

❌ Common Pitfalls

Forgetting to Combine

Mistake: "La casa de el hombre."

Correction: La casa del hombre. Spanish always requires you to merge 'de' and 'el' into 'del'. It's a rule you can't skip!

⭐ Usage Tips

Only for 'el'

This shortcut only works with 'el' (the masculine 'the'). You don't combine it with 'la', 'los', or 'las'. For those, you just say 'de la', 'de los', and 'de las'.

✏️ Quick Practice

💡 Quick Quiz: del

Question 1 of 2

Which sentence correctly says 'The dog of the man'?

📚 More Resources

Frequently Asked Questions

Why can't I just say 'de el'?

It's one of the few unbreakable rules in Spanish. Think of it like saying 'it's' instead of 'it is' in English—one is just the standard way. Native speakers always combine 'de' + 'el' into 'del', so it sounds unnatural not to.

Does this happen with 'de la', 'de los', or 'de las'?

Great question! No, the shortcut only happens with 'de' + 'el'. All the other forms stay separate: 'de la' (of the, feminine), 'de los' (of the, masculine plural), and 'de las' (of the, feminine plural).

Is 'del' related to 'al'?

Yes, they are the only two official contractions in Spanish! 'del' is 'de + el', and 'al' is 'a + el' (to the).