al, del, pel
Contractions and Article Elision
Apply article elision before deciding whether a, de or per contracts with el.
How It Works
The ordinary contractions are al, del and pel, with plural als, dels and pels. Before a noun allowing singular elision, use a l’, de l’ and per l’ instead: a l'hotel. The plural articles never elide, so als hotels remains contracted.
Feminine la does not form these contractions. It may elide, as in de l'illa, or remain intact, as in de la universitat. Unstressed initial feminine i/u and consonantal initial i/u need particular attention.
An article that belongs to a publication title is a separate case. Do not infer the rule solely from capital letters: ordinary institutional names still allow del Govern and al Parlament.
Examples (3)
- Entren a l'edifici.
They enter the building.
- Torna dels hotels del centre.
She is returning from the downtown hotels.
- Passem per la universitat.
We pass by the university.
How It Connects
Learn This First
Apply ordinary a/de contractions before checking elision priority. Identify article elision before selecting a contraction.
Related Patterns
Learn Next
Patterns that build on this one.
Words in This Pattern
Practice al, del, pel in Bubblegum
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