The many meanings of 'de'

01

Possession and Relationships

Spanish does not use the apostrophe-s structure (like John's car) to show possession. Instead, you must use de to indicate that one thing belongs to another. The structure is always: [Thing possessed] + de + [Owner].

• El coche de mi padre es rojo.

  My father's car is red.

• Esta es la casa de Ana.

  This is Ana's house.

• La madre de mi amigo es profesora.

  My friend's mother is a teacher.

02

Origin and Provenance

When describing where someone or something comes from, de corresponds directly to the English from. This applies to nationality, city of origin, or the starting point of a movement.

• Soy de España.

  I am from Spain.

• Este vino es de La Rioja.

  This wine is from La Rioja.

• Vengo de la oficina.

  I am coming from the office.

03

Material and Contents

English often turns materials into adjectives (a wooden table) or uses compound nouns (orange juice). Spanish consistently uses de to describe what something is made of or what it contains.

Materials

• Es una mesa de madera.

  It is a wooden table.

• Llevo una camiseta de algodón.

  I am wearing a cotton t-shirt.

Contents

• Quiero un vaso de agua.

  I want a glass of water.

• Me gusta el zumo de naranja.

  I like orange juice.

04

Characteristics and Description

de is used to describe a defining characteristic of a person or object. In these cases, it often translates to with, in, or simply helps form a descriptive phrase.

• El chico de las gafas es mi hermano.

  The boy with the glasses is my brother.

• La mujer de rojo es famosa.

  The woman in red is famous.

• Es una película de terror.

  It is a horror movie.

05

Time and Cause

In European Spanish, de is used to specify the part of the day when telling time, whereas Latin American varieties might use other prepositions. It can also express the cause of an event.

• Son las tres de la tarde.

  It is three in the afternoon.

• Estoy cansado de correr.

  I am tired from running.

• Murió de hambre.

  He died of hunger.

06

Connecting Verbs

Many verbs require de to connect to a following infinitive or noun. This usage is fixed and must be memorized as part of the verb phrase.

• Acabo de llegar.

  I have just arrived.

• Trato de aprender español.

  I am trying to learn Spanish.

• No me acuerdo de su nombre.

  I do not remember his name.

07

Contraction with 'El'

When de is followed immediately by the masculine singular article el (the), they merge to form the contraction del. This is mandatory in both speech and writing.

• de + el = del
• de + la = de la (No contraction)
• de + él (him) = de él (No contraction)

• Es el juguete del perro.

  It is the dog's toy.

• Salgo del trabajo a las cinco.

  I leave work at five.