The many meanings of 'de'

01

The Contraction 'del'

When de is followed by the masculine singular article el (the), they must combine to form the contraction del. This is a mandatory rule.

de + el → del

• El perro del vecino ladra mucho.

  The neighbor's dog barks a lot.

• Vengo del mercado.

  I'm coming from the market.

This contraction does not occur with the other definite articles: la, los, or las.

• La casa de la abuela es azul.

  The grandmother's house is blue.

• Los problemas de los estudiantes son complejos.

  The students' problems are complex.

02

Possession and Belonging

Use de to show that something belongs to someone or something. This is the equivalent of using an apostrophe-s ('s) in English.

• Es el coche de mi papá.

  It's my dad's car.

• Las llaves de la casa están sobre la mesa.

  The keys to the house are on the table.

03

Origin and Provenance

de indicates where a person or thing comes from.

• Mi familia es de Monterrey.

  My family is from Monterrey.

• Este tequila es de Jalisco.

  This tequila is from Jalisco.

04

Material and Content

de is used to describe what something is made of or what it contains. When describing material, it often corresponds to an adjective in English.

• Compré una camisa de algodón.

  I bought a cotton shirt.

• La puerta es de metal.

  The door is made of metal.

It also specifies the contents of a container or a type of food.

• Quiero un taco de pastor, por favor.

  I want an al pastor taco, please.

• Me das un vaso de agua.

  Can you give me a glass of water.

05

Topic or Subject

Use de to specify the topic of a conversation, book, movie, etc. In this context, it often translates to about.

• Es una clase de historia.

  It's a history class.

• ¿De qué estaban hablando?

  What were you all talking about?

06

Time and Period

de is frequently used to specify parts of the day.

• Son las diez de la mañana.

  It's ten in the morning.

• Prefiero estudiar de noche.

  I prefer to study at night.

07

Cause or Reason

de can indicate the cause of a state or action, often translating to from, with, or of.

• Estoy temblando de frío.

  I'm shivering from the cold.

• Se enfermó de gripa.

  He got sick with the flu.

08

In Compound Prepositions

de is a fundamental part of many longer, more specific prepositions.

• cerca de - near
• lejos de - far from
• antes de - before
• después de - after
• enfrente de - in front of
• además de - besides / in addition to

• Mi casa está cerca del parque.

  My house is near the park.

• Lávate las manos antes de comer.

  Wash your hands before eating.

09

Connecting Verbs

Certain verbs require de to connect to a following infinitive verb.

acabar de + infinitive means to have just done something.

• Acabo de llegar a la oficina.

  I just arrived at the office.

dejar de + infinitive means to stop doing something.

• Tienes que dejar de fumar.

  You have to stop smoking.

tratar de + infinitive means to try to do something.

• Siempre trato de ser puntual.

  I always try to be punctual.