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"Del" is a form of "del", a contraction which is often translated as "of the". "Al lado de" is a phrase which is often translated as "next to". Learn more about the difference between "al lado de" and "del" below.
al lado de(
ahl
lah
-
doh
deh
)A phrase is a group of words commonly used together (e.g., once upon a time).
a. with
Su esposo siempre estuvo al lado de ella cuando lo necesitó.Her husband was always with her when she needed him.
a. compared to
Nuestra casa es muy pequeña al lado de la suya.Our house is very small compared to yours.
del(
dehl
)A contraction is a shortened form of a word or group of words made by omitting a sound or letter (e.g., don't).
a. of the
La mejor parte del fin de semana es comer con toda la familia los domingos.The best part of the weekend is having dinner with the whole family on Sundays.
b. no direct translation
This refers to an idiomatic word or phrase for which there is no word-for-word translation.
El coche es del padre de un amigo.The car belongs to a friend's dad.
El libro del maestro tiene las repuestas a la prueba.The teacher's book has the answers to the test.
a. from the
Voy de viaje del primero del mes hasta el 10.I'm away on a trip from the first of the month to the 10th.