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"Del" is a form of "del", a contraction which is often translated as "of the". "De él" is a phrase which is often translated as "his". Learn more about the difference between "de él" and "del" below.
de él(
deh
ehl
)A phrase is a group of words commonly used together (e.g., once upon a time).
a. of him
Adoraba a mi abuelo. Aún conservo un viejo retrato de él.I adored my grandad. I still keep an old portrait of him.
b. from him
Me llegó una carta de él desde el frente de batalla.I got a letter from him from the battlefront.
c. about him
No sé qué tiene Adrián de especial pero las chicas siempre están hablando de él.I don't know what's so special about Adrian, but the girls are always talking about him.
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.
