The Many Meanings of 'de'

01

Possession and Origin

One of the primary uses of de is to show possession (who something belongs to) or origin (where something or someone comes from).

To show possession, it functions like 's in English.

• Aquesta és la bicicleta de la meva germana.

  This is my sister's bicycle.

• Les claus de casa són a la taula.

  The house keys are on the table.

To show origin, it is equivalent to from.

• Sóc de Barcelona.

  I'm from Barcelona.

• Aquest vi és del Penedès.

  This wine is from the Penedès region.

02

Material and Content

de is used to describe what something is made of or what it contains.

For material (made of):

• És una taula de fusta massissa.

  It's a solid wood table.

• Porta un vestit de seda.

  She is wearing a silk dress.

For content (full of, a ... of):

• Vols un got de llet?

  Do you want a glass of milk?

• He comprat una caixa de galetes.

  I have bought a box of cookies.

03

Characteristics and Type

de can also be used to specify the type or category of a noun, functioning like an adjective.

• M'agraden els llibres d'història.

  I like history books.

• Busco unes sabates de taló.

  I'm looking for high-heeled shoes.

• Anem al mercat de la Boqueria.

  Let's go to the Boqueria market.

04

In Verbal Phrases

de is a required component of many common verbal expressions.

• acabar de + infinitive: to have just done something
• haver de + infinitive: to have to / must do something
• deixar de + infinitive: to stop doing something
• parlar de: to talk about

• Acabo d'arribar a l'oficina.

  I have just arrived at the office.

• Has de comprar el pa.

  You have to buy the bread.

• Vaig deixar de fumar fa dos anys.

  I quit smoking two years ago.

05

In Compound Prepositions

de serves as a building block for many longer prepositions, especially those indicating location.

• Vivim a prop de la Sagrada Família.

  We live near the Sagrada Família.

• El gat és sota de la cadira.

  The cat is under the chair.

• A més de català, parlo anglès i francès.

  In addition to Catalan, I speak English and French.

06

Contractions and Apostrophes

The preposition de changes its form when it comes before certain articles or words beginning with a vowel. These changes are not optional.

Contractions with Articles

de combines with the masculine articles el (the) and els (the).

• de + el → del
• de + els → dels

• El cotxe del meu pare és nou.

  My father's car is new.

• La reunió dels treballadors és demà.

  The workers' meeting is tomorrow.

It does not contract with the feminine articles la and les.

• La porta de la botiga està oberta.

  The shop's door is open.

• Les finestres de les cases són grans.

  The houses' windows are big.

Use of the Apostrophe

When de comes before a word that starts with a vowel or a silent h, it becomes d'.

• És un got d'aigua.

  It's a glass of water.

• Vinc d'un poble petit.

  I come from a small town.

• És l'hora d'anar a dormir.

  It's time to go to sleep.