# 15. "al" & "del"

> Source: [video link](https://youtube.com/watch?v=YHDZSHCt1DE&t=3543s)

Spanish contracts the prepositions **a** and **de** with the masculine singular article **el** to avoid the redundant vowel sounds "a el" and "de el". These are the only two mandatory contractions in Spanish.

## Key Rules
- **a + el → al** ("to the" masculine).
- **de + el → del** ("of the" / "from the" masculine).
- The contraction is **mandatory** when the article **el** follows directly.
- Do **not** contract with **la, los, las**, or with the pronoun **él** (he/him).
- Capitalized **El** in proper names (e.g., *El Salvador*) is **not** contracted: "Voy a El Salvador."

## Conjugation / Pattern Tables

| Combination | Contracted | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| a + el | al | to the (m. sing.) |
| a + la | a la | to the (f. sing.) |
| a + los | a los | to the (m. pl.) |
| a + las | a las | to the (f. pl.) |
| de + el | del | of/from the (m. sing.) |
| de + la | de la | of/from the (f. sing.) |
| de + los | de los | of/from the (m. pl.) |
| de + las | de las | of/from the (f. pl.) |

## Examples

| Spanish | English |
|---------|---------|
| Yo quiero ir al baño. | I want to go to the bathroom. |
| Yo quiero ir a la clase. | I want to go to the class. |
| Él es del mercado. | He is from the market. |
| Él es de la clase. | He is from the class. |
| ¿Qué supones del mercado? | What do you suppose of the market? |
| Vamos al parque. | Let's go to the park. |
| Vengo del trabajo. | I come from work. |
| Es el libro del profesor. | It's the teacher's book. |

## Notes & Gotchas
- Only **el** (the article) contracts. The pronoun **él** keeps its accent and stays separate: *Es de él* (It's his), *Voy a él* (I go toward him).
- Proper nouns with capital "El" do not contract.
- Feminine and plural articles never contract.