Understanding French Contractions
French contractions are mandatory combinations of prepositions with definite articles. When the prepositions à (to/at) and de (of/from) meet certain definite articles, they must contract.
These contractions are not optional - they are required in French grammar. Using the separate forms (à le, de le) is grammatically incorrect.
The contractions create new words: au, du, des, and aux.
Examples
❌ Je vais à le cinéma → ✅ Je vais au cinéma
Wrong: à le → Right: au (to the cinema)
❌ Il vient de le bureau → ✅ Il vient du bureau
Wrong: de le → Right: du (from the office)
Contractions with À (to/at)
The preposition à contracts with le and les, but not with la or l'.
À + Definite Articles
Here are all combinations of à with definite articles:
À + Article Contractions
| Pronoun | Conjugation | English |
|---|---|---|
| à + le | = au | au restaurant (to the restaurant) |
| à + la | = à la | à la maison (to the house) |
| à + l' | = à l' | à l'école (to the school) |
| à + les | = aux | aux enfants (to the children) |
Common Uses of À Contractions
These contractions appear in many everyday expressions:
aller au cinéma (to go to the cinema)
parler aux professeurs (to talk to the teachers)
jouer au football (to play soccer)
penser aux vacances (to think about vacation)
être au bureau (to be at the office)
donner aux pauvres (to give to the poor)
Contractions with DE (of/from)
The preposition de contracts with le and les, but not with la or l'.
DE + Definite Articles
Here are all combinations of de with definite articles:
DE + Article Contractions
| Pronoun | Conjugation | English |
|---|---|---|
| de + le | = du | du pain (some bread) |
| de + la | = de la | de la musique (some music) |
| de + l' | = de l' | de l'eau (some water) |
| de + les | = des | des livres (some books) |
DE Contractions: Multiple Uses
DE contractions serve different grammatical functions:
Partitive: Je mange du chocolat. (I eat chocolate.)
Expressing "some" with uncountable nouns
Possession: C'est le livre du professeur. (It's the teacher's book.)
Showing possession or belonging
Origin: Il vient du Canada. (He comes from Canada.)
Expressing origin or source
Plural indefinite: des enfants (some children)
Plural form of indefinite articles
When NOT to Contract
Contractions only occur with definite articles. They do not happen with other words that might look similar.
Examples
à un ami (to a friend) - no contraction with indefinite
de une heure (from one hour) - no contraction with numbers
à cette école (to this school) - no contraction with demonstrative
de mon père (from my father) - no contraction with possessive
No Contraction Examples
These combinations do NOT contract:
No Contractions
| Pronoun | Conjugation | English |
|---|---|---|
| à + un/une | à un/une | à un ami (to a friend) |
| de + un/une | de un/une | de une heure (from one o'clock) |
| à + ce/cette | à ce/cette | à cette école (to this school) |
| de + mon/ma | de mon/ma | de ma mère (from my mother) |
Contractions in Context
Understanding how contractions work in real sentences and expressions:
Examples
Je vais au marché pour acheter des légumes.
I go to the market to buy vegetables.
Les clés du professeur sont sur la table.
The teacher's keys are on the table.
Elle parle aux étudiants de l'université.
She talks to the university students.
Fixed Expressions with Contractions
Many common expressions use contractions:
jouer du piano (to play piano)
avoir besoin des livres (to need books)
parler au téléphone (to talk on the phone)
aller aux toilettes (to go to the bathroom)
Pronunciation of Contractions
French contractions have specific pronunciation patterns:
au [o] - like "oh"
du [dy] - like "due"
des [de] - like "day"
aux [o] - like "oh" (same as au)
The pronunciation is different from saying the separate words.
Examples
au cinéma [o see-nay-MAH]
du pain [dy pan]
des livres [day LEE-vruh]
aux enfants [o ahn-FAHN]
Common Mistakes to Avoid
Here are frequent errors students make with French contractions:
1. Not contracting: Using à le instead of au
2. Wrong contractions: Contracting with wrong articles
3. Over-contracting: Trying to contract with indefinite articles
4. Pronunciation errors: Mispronouncing contracted forms
Examples
❌ Je vais à le magasin → ✅ Je vais au magasin
Wrong: must contract à + le = au
❌ de la → du → ✅ de la (no change)
Wrong: de + la doesn't contract
❌ à une → au → ✅ à une (no change)
Wrong: only contracts with definite articles