dun / nun / cun
Contractions with Un and Unha
De, en and con join un, unha, uns, unhas into one word, as in Vivo nun piso (I live in a flat) and unha casa cunha horta (a house with a vegetable garden).
How It Works
The twelve forms:
• de → dun, dunha, duns, dunhas
• en → nun, nunha, nuns, nunhas
• con → cun, cunha, cuns, cunhas
Like the definite article: these match do, no and co: no parque (in the park), nun parque (in a park).
Pronunciation: the n of dun, nun, cun is the velar n of un, and the nh of dunha, nunha, cunha spells the same sound before a vowel. See velar n.
Nun is not non: nun means "in a"; non means "no" or "not".
When un means "one" on its own: de and en still contract (falar mal dun, to speak ill of someone), but con stays separate: con un ou con outro (with one or another).
Advanced note: there is no contraction when the preposition introduces a whole infinitive clause rather than the noun, as in de un médico estar alí... (if a doctor had been there...).
Outro and algún: de and en also join these words in the written standard: noutra ocasión (on another occasion), dalgún sitio (from somewhere). See contractions with outro and algún.
Examples (6)
- Vivo nun piso.
I live in a flat.
Word by Word: Live-I in-a flat.
en + un = nun
- Queren unha casa cunha horta.
They want a house with a vegetable garden.
Word by Word: Want-they a house with-a garden.
con + unha = cunha
- É a filla dunha amiga.
She is a friend's daughter.
Word by Word: Is the daughter of-a friend.
de + unha = dunha
- Onte falei cun veciño novo.
Yesterday I talked to a new neighbour.
Word by Word: Yesterday talked-I with-a neighbour new.
con + un = cun
- Pasamos o verán nunhas illas preciosas.
We spent the summer on some beautiful islands.
Word by Word: Spent-we the summer in-some islands beautiful.
en + unhas = nunhas
- Necesito a opinión dun experto.
I need an expert's opinion.
Word by Word: Need-I the opinion of-an expert.
de + un = dun
Common Mistakes
Leaving en separate from un.
Vivo en un piso.Vivo nun piso.En joins the indefinite article: en + un = nun.
Leaving con separate from unha.
Vou ao cine con unha amiga.Vou ao cine cunha amiga.Con joins the indefinite article too: con + unha = cunha.
Leaving de separate from uns.
Durmo na casa de uns amigos.Durmo na casa duns amigos.De + uns = duns. The plural forms contract just like the singular.
How It Connects
Learn This First
De, en and con contract with un and unha and their plurals.
Related Patterns
- de + o = doContractions of De with the Article
The same contraction with the definite article.
Level 1 - en + o = noContractions of En with the Article
En contracts with the definite article in the same way.
Level 1 - con + o = coContractions of Con with the Article
Con contracts with the definite article: co, coa, cos, coas.
Level 1 - doutro / nalgúnContractions with Outro and Algún
De and en also contract with outro and algún: doutro, nalgún.
Level 4 - Velar N: unha and Final N
Explains the sound spelled nh in dunha, nunha and cunha.
Level 1
Words in This Pattern
Practice dun / nun / cun in Bubblegum
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