del
“del” means “of the” in Spanish (before a masculine singular noun).
of the, from the
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📝 In Action
Es el coche del profesor.
A1It's the teacher's car.
Vengo del supermercado.
A1I'm coming from the supermarket.
El color del cielo es azul.
A1The color of the sky is blue.
Es el final del día.
A2It's the end of the day.
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Quick Quiz: del
Question 1 of 2
Which sentence correctly says 'The dog of the man'?
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🎵 Rhymes▼
📚 Etymology▼
A contraction of the Old Spanish words 'de' (from Latin 'de', meaning 'of' or 'from') and 'el' (from Latin 'ille', meaning 'that'). This combination became standard centuries ago.
First recorded: c. 12th century
Cognates (Related words)
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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).