When prepositions à or de are followed by definite articles le or les in French, these prepositions "contract" with them to form one word.
Learn how to contract à / de with the definite articles in French
Summary of the rules of contracted articles with à and de
| Preposition + article | Contraction | Example |
| à + le | au |
Je vais au cinéma. (le cinéma) |
| à + les | aux |
Je vais aux États-Unis. (Les États-Unis / USA) |
| de + le | du |
Je viens du marché. (le marché /market) |
| de + les | des |
Je viens des Pays-Bas. (Les Pays-Bas / The Netherlands) |
| These don't contract |
||
| à + la | Je vais à la poste (the post office) | |
| à + l' | Je vais à l'hôtel. | |
| de + la | Je viens de la piscine. (the swimming pool) | |
| de + l' | Je viens de l'auberge de jeunesse. (the youth hostel) | |
Remember that with locations, you will use the preposition à = to/in + [a place] and de = from + [a place].
See also À = To/in and De = From/of with cities in French (French Prepositions of Location)
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Examples and resources
Aux mille bougies,
Qu'enchantent vers le ciel,
Les cloches de la nuit.Happy, happy Christmas!
To the thousand candles,
That enchant to the heavens,
The night bells.
I am from the Netherlands.
(lit. Christmas on the balcony, Easter by the firebrand)
à
Alain is going to the house
Marie is at school.
