Al and Del in Spanish

In Spanish there are some words that contract when they go together, for example: al and del

Learn about Al in Spanish

In Spanish, to express to the / in the + masculine singular noun (a + el), you use the contraction al.

Look at these examples:

Los estudiantes dan los deberes al profesor.The students give their homework to the teacher.

Nosotros vamos siempre al mismo restaurante.We always go to the same restaurant.

Voy a comprar al mercado.I'm going shopping in the market.

Learn about Del in Spanish

The same happens with the preposition de + el (from the / of the) which becomes del.

Look at these examples:

Granada es una ciudad del sur de España.Granada is a city in the south of Spain. (Lit: from/of the south)

El Gobierno va a aumentar el presupuesto del Ministerio de Cultura.The Government is going to increase the budget of the Ministry of Culture.

Ellos vienen del cine.They've come from the cinema.

Note that in the example about the city of Granada we are using "del" because we mean "Granada is a city of the south of Spain", (that "belongs" to the south of Spain) but this wouldn't be correct in English.

You never use these contractions when the article el is part of a proper noun (place, work of art, book, etc.)

El avión despegó del aeropuerto de El Salvador.The plane took off from El Salvador airport.

La noticia aparece en la portada de El Tiempo de Bogotá.The news is on the cover of El Tiempo de Bogotá.

Los turistas fueron a El Escorial.The tourists went to El Escorial.

Want to make sure your Spanish sounds confident? We’ll map your knowledge and give you free lessons to focus on your gaps and mistakes. Start your Brainmap today »

Learn more about these related Spanish grammar topics

Examples and resources

Vamos al parque con los niños.We're going to the park with the children.
El Gobierno va a aumentar el presupuesto del Ministerio de Cultura.The Government is going to increase the budget of the Ministry of Culture.
Nosotros vamos siempre al mismo restaurante.We always go to the same restaurant.
Los turistas fueron a El Escorial.The tourists went to El Escorial.
Ellos vienen del cine.They've come from the cinema.
El avión despegó del aeropuerto de El Salvador.The plane took off from El Salvador airport.
Voy a comprar al mercado.I'm going shopping in the market.
Los estudiantes dan los deberes al profesor.The students give their homework to the teacher.
La noticia aparece en la portada de El Tiempo de Bogotá.The news is on the cover of El Tiempo de Bogotá.
Granada es una ciudad del sur de España.Granada is a city in the south of Spain. (Lit: from/of the south)
Clever stuff happening!