Contracciones/ Contractions

In Spanish, there are only 2 contractions, al and del.

The prepositions a (to, toward) and de (from, of) combine with the definite article el to form al (a + el = al) and del (de + el = del).

EXAMPLES:

·         Voy al hotel./ I am going to the hotel.

·         Vengo del colegio./ I am coming from college.

 

NOTE: That the pronoun él does NOT contract.

EXAMPLE:

·         Decile a él que venga./ Tell him to come.

 

NOTE: That no other definite articles (la, las, los) form contractions when combined with de.

EXAMPLES:

o  La ventana de la casa está sucia./ The window of the house is dirty.

o  Las hipotecas de las casas./ The mortgages of the houses.

o  Los empleados de los bancos./ The employees of the banks.