Spanish contractions al and del: the complete beginner rule

Spanish contractions

What are al and del in Spanish?

Al combines the preposition a with the masculine singular definite article el. Use it when the underlying phrase really contains both parts: Voy a + el mercado becomes Voy al mercado.

Del combines the preposition de with the same article el: Vengo de + el mercado becomes Vengo del mercado. The contraction is mandatory in standard Spanish when a or de stands directly before the article el.

The spelling does not contract with feminine or plural articles, other determiners, or the accented pronoun él. Proper names and titles that officially begin with capitalised El also keep the words separate: de El Salvador, de El País.

Choose the form in three checks

Find the preposition: use al only when the sentence requires a; use del only when it requires de. The contraction does not choose the preposition for you.

Look at the next word. Contract only before the article el plus a masculine singular noun. Keep a la, de la, a los, de los, a un, and de mi separate.

Decide whether el is really the article. Keep a él and de él separate because él is a pronoun. Keep a El Salvador and de El País separate because capitalised El belongs to the name.

32 examples of al, del, and the exceptions

Four blocks contrast al, del, forms that never contract, and the two exceptions learners most often miss.

Learn the rule in four contrast blocks

First automate al and del, then protect the non-contraction and exception cases.

How do you avoid al and del mistakes?

Expand the phrase before you write it. If al expands to a + el, it is possible; if del expands to de + el, it is possible. Then confirm that the sentence needs that preposition.

Do not translate al and del as fixed English words. Al may correspond to “to the” or appear in expressions such as al lado de; del may mean “from the,” “of the,” or mark a topic after hablar de.

Learn contrast pairs: al mercado / a la tienda, del hotel / de los hoteles, al profesor / a él, del país / de El Salvador.

Hola Cards is a Spanish flashcard app from holacards.org for iOS and Android. It is free to download, requires no account, has no ads, and works offline. The interface is available in English, Russian, and Portuguese; cards support translations in 28 languages and 18 practice and game modes. You can import these examples into a custom group for Spanish audio, writing, pronunciation, and spaced review. Hola Cards does not decide automatically whether a sentence needs al, del, or two separate words, so use the rule and context on this page.

Connect contractions with articles, place prepositions, personal a, ir, and noun gender.

Definite and indefinite articles / Prepositions of place / Spanish personal a / Ir phrases for beginners / Spanish noun gender rules

A five-minute contraction routine

1. Read eight al examples and expand each one to a + el.
2. Read eight del examples and expand each one to de + el.
3. Change four masculine nouns to feminine or plural and remove the contraction.
4. Contrast a él / de él with al profesor / del profesor.
5. Write de El Salvador and de El País once to fix the capitalised-name exception.

Primary language references

The mandatory contractions, proper-name exception, and A1–A2 teaching scope were checked against RAE–ASALE and Instituto Cervantes sources.

• Instituto Cervantes: mandatory al and del contractions and proper-name exceptions
• Instituto Cervantes A1–A2 grammar inventory: articles, pronouns, and spatial notions
• RAE–ASALE New Grammar overview

**Spanish al and del: 32 examples**

Voy al mercado. - I am going to the market.
Llegamos al hotel a las ocho. - We arrive at the hotel at eight.
Marta llama al médico. - Marta calls the doctor.
Dale el libro al profesor. - Give the book to the teacher.
El banco está al lado del museo. - The bank is next to the museum.
Jugamos al tenis los sábados. - We play tennis on Saturdays.
Voy al trabajo en metro. - I go to work by metro.
Caminamos hasta el parque y volvemos al centro. - We walk to the park and return downtown.
Vengo del mercado. - I am coming from the market.
Salimos del hotel temprano. - We leave the hotel early.
La puerta del museo está cerrada. - The museum door is closed.
Es el libro del profesor. - It is the teacher's book.
Estamos cerca del centro. - We are near downtown.
La estación está delante del parque. - The station is in front of the park.
Hablamos del viaje. - We talk about the trip.
El tren sale del andén tres. - The train leaves from platform three.
Voy a la farmacia. - I am going to the pharmacy.
Vengo de la oficina. - I am coming from the office.
Escribo a los estudiantes. - I write to the students.
Hablo de las clases. - I talk about the classes.
Voy a un restaurante nuevo. - I am going to a new restaurant.
Vengo de mi trabajo. - I am coming from work.
Le doy el mapa a este viajero. - I give the map to this traveller.
La opinión de otro profesor es distinta. - Another teacher's opinion is different.
Voy a él cuando necesito ayuda. - I go to him when I need help.
Ese libro es de él. - That book is his.
Viajo a El Salvador en junio. - I travel to El Salvador in June.
Vengo de El Salvador mañana. - I come back from El Salvador tomorrow.
Es un reportaje de El País. - It is an article from El País.
Voy a la plaza, no al museo. - I am going to the square, not the museum.
Vengo de la playa, no del hotel. - I am coming from the beach, not the hotel.
Hablo al profesor y después hablo de él. - I speak to the teacher and then speak about him.