Contractions

Contractions

Spanish has only two contractions, and both involve the definite article, el:

When el follows preposition a, i.e., (a + el,) the two words combine to become al.

Fui al médico.
I went to the doctor.

When el follows the preposition de, i.e., (de + el), the result is del.

Ella vino del hospital.
She came from the hospital.

EXCEPT:
(if a city and country name is used with a definite article, contraction rule should be not used)

Es de El Salvador.
She is from El Salvador.