A simple lesson on contractions in Spanish

If you’re starting to learn Spanish, there may come a point where you ask yourself: Are there contractions in Spanish? And are they difficult to learn? The answer is… yes there are and no, they’re not difficult to learn! You’ll see how easy they are in a moment.

Grammatical contractions are key in helping language sound more natural and flow more easily –just imagine what English would be like if we didn’t have contractions like ‘can’t’ or ‘isn’t’! Well, as with English, learning Spanish contractions is essential to becoming fluent in the language.

So, let’s have a quick lesson on Spanish contractions, going over what they are and how to use them.

• What are contractions?
• Spanish contractions
• When not to use Spanish contractions

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What are contractions?

Contractions are a grammatical device that combines two words into one. This is done by removing one or more of these words’ letters and gluing the rest together (like ‘haven’t’ instead of ‘have not’ or ‘don’t’ instead of ‘do not’).

In English, contractions are used in both speaking and writing. They are vital to the natural flow of language because they make pronunciation easier and convey a relaxed tone. However, we tend to avoid them in formal texts. When it comes to Spanish, though, we may find some differences in this regard. Let’s talk about it below.

Spanish contractions

In Spanish, contractions are not just a handy tool to shorten our sentences, aid pronunciation and express friendliness. They’re needed for grammar correctness in both formal and casual language! That’s why learning them is so important.

Having said that, let’s take a look at the three different types of contractions in Spanish and how to form them:

1. Spanish contractions: ‘a’ or ‘de’ + definite article

When the prepositions a (to) and de (from/of) are followed by the definite article el (the), we must form a contraction. It is not optional. Let’s dive into it:

• A + el = al: this contraction indicates that a masculine noun or word is at the receiving end of an action. It usually translates as ‘to the…’. Here are examples of its usage:
  
  – Voy al doctor (I’m going to the doctor).
  – Por favor, háblale al vecino (please, call the neighbor).
  – ¿Te refieres al jueves pasado? (Are you referring to last Thursday?)
  
• De + el = del: this expresses that something belongs to, or that an action comes from, a masculine noun or word. Usually, we translate it as ‘from the…’ or ‘of the…’. For example:
  
  – ¿Tienes el número del restaurante? (Do you have the number of the restaurant?)
  – Me bajé del tren (I got off the train).
  – Es la ciudad más grande del país (it’s the biggest city in the country).

Note: these contractions can only be formed with the article el. For example, voy camino a la escuela (I’m on my way to school) can’t become voy camino ‘al’ escuela because la escuela is feminine and does not form this contraction. Same goes for ‘de la‘.

2. Spanish contractions: ‘con’ + prepositional pronoun

The preposition con (with) contracts with the prepositional pronouns mí, ti and sí and the suffix –go is added at the end. If the pronoun has an accent, we must remove it.

• Con + mí + go = conmigo (with me).
  
  – ¿Quieres ir conmigo a la fiesta? (Do you want to come with me to the party?)
  – Diana está conmigo (Diana is with me).
  
• Con + ti + go = contigo (with you).
  
  – Me gustaría hablar contigo (I would like to have a talk with you).
  – No se puede ganar contigo (I just can’t win with you).
  
• Con + sí + go = consigo (with him/her/it/them/formal you).
  
  – ¿Trae los papeles necesarios consigo? (Did you bring the required paperwork with you?)
  – Raúl está cómodo consigo mismo (Raúl feels comfortable with himself).

3. Spanish contractions: verb + object pronoun

When we use an infinitive, gerund or command coupled with a direct or indirect object pronoun, we must contract them into one word. How? We place the pronoun after the verb. Sometimes, we’ll also need to add an accent to stress the correct syllable. Here are some examples:

• Leer + los = leerlos (to read them).
  Tengo mucho tiempo con estos libros; quiero leerlos este año (I’ve had these books for a long time; I want to read them this year).
  
• Mostrar + se + lo = mostrárselo (to show it to him/her/it).
  Mariana está aquí para ver el cuarto. ¿Puedes mostrárselo? (Mariana is here to see the room. Can you show it to her?)
  
• Llama + me = llámame (call me).
  No sabes lo que acaba de pasar. ¡Llámame ya! (You have no idea what just happened. Call me now!)

When not to use Spanish contractions

We started this article by asking ourselves ‘does Spanish have contractions?’ We know now that it does and we know how to use them… but are there cases where contractions shouldn’t be used in Spanish? Yes! But they’re simple. We don’t use contractions when:

• El is part of a proper noun, such as the title of a book, a city name or a nickname. For example: Sandra acaba de llegar de El Paso (Sandra just arrived from El Paso). As you can see, the article and the preposition are kept separate. However, when spoken the two words may be merged by native speakers out of habit –… de El Paso may sound like … del Paso.
  
• It comes to the pronoun él instead of the article el (notice the accent in the pronoun?). This pronoun is used for masculine-gendered nouns, especially men or male animals. Here’s an example: el carro negro es de él (the black car is his).

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Spanish contractions aren’t hard 

Contractions in Spanish are critical for proper grammar. You have to learn them if you want to become fluent. The good news? They’re easy to learn and there aren’t very many of them to remember. You can practice identifying Spanish contractions by reading books, watching movies and listening to songs and podcasts in Spanish. Pay attention and try to spot them when they’re being used. You’ll have them down in no time!

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