The Preposition "De"

Spanish: La preposición "De"

Level: A2 Elementary

Category: prepositions

Explanation

The preposition "de" is one of the most common in Spanish and has many meanings. Its main use is to express origin or where something comes from: "Soy de Madrid" (I am from Madrid). It is also used with the verb "venir" (to come): "Vengo del museo" (I come from the museum). The second key use is possession. Spanish has no apostrophe like English; instead we use "de": "el libro de María" (María's book). The order is always: thing possessed + de + owner. "De" also indicates the material something is made of: "una mesa de madera" (a wooden table), "un anillo de oro" (a gold ring). It additionally expresses a part of a whole or the contents of something: "un vaso de agua" (a glass of water), "una rebanada de pan" (a slice of bread). A very important rule: when "de" is followed by the article "el", they obligatorily contract into "del". So "de + el" is always written "del": "Vengo del banco" (NOT "de el banco"). This contraction does not happen with "la", "los" or "las".

Examples

• El camarero es de Sevilla. - The waiter is from Sevilla.
• ¿Me da una taza de café, por favor? - Can you give me a cup of coffee, please?
• ¿Dónde está la llave de la habitación? - Where is the room key?
• La recepción del hotel cierra a medianoche. - The hotel reception closes at midnight.
• Quiero un kilo de tomates, por favor. - I want a kilo of tomatoes, please.