l'
Elision of the Article
Drop the vowel of lo or la before a vowel, and write an apostrophe.
How It Works
Lo and la lose their vowel before a word that starts with a vowel: lo + ostal = l'ostal and la + aiga = l'aiga. The apostrophe shows what is missing.
| Before a consonant | Before a vowel |
|---|---|
| lo libre (the book) | l'ostal (the house) |
| la taula (the table) | l'aiga (the water) |
| lo pan (the bread) | l'amic (the friend) |
| la cadièra (the chair) | l'ora (the hour) |
The gender is hidden by l': l'ostal is masculine and l'aiga is feminine. Learn it with the noun. An adjective shows it afterwards: l'ostal nòu, l'aiga nòva.
The same thing happens before a silent h, which is rare in Occitan.
The plural articles keep their full form: los ostals, las aigas.
Examples (5)
- l'ostal
the house
Lo drops its vowel before ostal.
- l'aiga
the water
La drops its vowel before aiga.
- l'ora
the hour
La drops its vowel before ora.
- l'amic
the friend
L' before a masculine noun that starts with a vowel.
- Vau a l'ostal.
I go home.
L' also follows a preposition.
Common Mistakes
Not dropping the vowel.
lo ostall'ostalLo becomes l' before a vowel.
Dropping the vowel of a plural article.
l'ostalslos ostalsLos and las never drop their vowel, so the plural keeps its full form.
How It Connects
Learn This First
The article drops its vowel before a vowel, so lo and la and the overview of elision come first.
Related Patterns
Learn Next
Patterns that build on this one.
Words in This Pattern
Practice l' in Bubblegum
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