A1
du, au, des, aux — obligatory contractions
How the French prepositions de and à contract with the definite article, and which combinations do not contract.
De and à merge with le and les. This is not optional and not a contraction you can spell out.
| de + le | du |
| de + les | des |
| à + le | au |
| à + les | aux |
Je vais au cinéma.
I go to-the cinema
I’m going to the cinema.
la porte du garage
the door of-the garage
the garage door
Je vais à le cinéma.
Je vais au cinéma.
À le does not exist in French. The merged form is the only way to write or say it.
la and l’ do not contract
Only the masculine and the plural merge.
Je vais à la plage.
I go to the beach
I’m going to the beach.
la clé de l’appartement
the key of the-apartment
the flat key
de is how French builds of
French has no possessive -s. Every X’s Y becomes the Y of X, and the order reverses.
le livre de Marie
the book of Marie
Marie’s book
la voiture de mon père
the car of my father
my father’s car
This is worth practising as a habit, because the reversal has to happen while you are speaking.
Watch for des doing two jobs
Des is both de + les and the plural indefinite article. Je parle des livres can be I’m talking about the books or I’m talking about some books, and only context separates them. See the partitive.