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"De" is a form of "de", a preposition which is often translated as "from". "Del" is a form of "del", a contraction which is often translated as "of the". Learn more about the difference between "de" and "del" below.
de(
deh
)A preposition is a word that indicates the relationship between a noun and another word (e.g., He ran through the door.).
a. no direct translation
This refers to an idiomatic word or phrase for which there is no word-for-word translation.
Te recojo en el coche de mi padre.I'll come get you in my father's car.
¿Esa no es la casa de Susana?Isn't that Susana's house?
a. no direct translation
This refers to an idiomatic word or phrase for which there is no word-for-word translation.
Voy a comprar otro traje de baño para el verano.I'm going to buy another bathing suit for the summer.
Se usa la palanca de cambios para cambiar las marchas.You use the gear shift to change the gears.
a. with
Me sorprendí llorando de pena al pensar en él.I caught myself crying with sorrow when I thought of him.
A feminine noun is almost always used with feminine articles and adjectives (e.g., la mujer bonita, la luna llena).
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.