de las
Lemma Details
Translation: of the; from the
Part of Speech: preposition
Etymology: This is a compound form combining the preposition 'de' (from Latin 'de' meaning 'from, away from, down from') and the feminine plural definite article 'las' (from Latin 'illas', accusative feminine plural of 'ille' meaning 'that'). Together they form the contracted preposition meaning 'of the' or 'from the' when referring to feminine plural nouns.
Commonality: 95%
Guessability: 80%
Register: neutral
Mnemonics
- Think of 'de' as 'of' and 'las' as 'the ladies' - so 'de las' means 'of the ladies' or 'of the feminine things'
- Remember that 'las' always refers to feminine plural nouns
Cultural Context
This is a fundamental grammatical construction in Spanish used constantly in everyday speech and writing. Unlike English, Spanish requires articles in many contexts where English might omit them.
Easily Confused With
Explanation: 'De las' is used with feminine plural nouns, while 'de los' is used with masculine plural nouns.
Notes: In Spanish, the article must match the gender and number of the noun it refers to.
Mnemonic: 'Las' for ladies (feminine), 'los' for lads (masculine).
Explanation: 'De las' means 'of the/from the' while 'a las' means 'to the/at the' for feminine plural nouns.
Confused word:
Vamos a las películas.
We're going to the movies.
Notes: These prepositions indicate different relationships between objects or concepts.
Mnemonic: 'De' is for describing or sourcing, 'a' is for approaching or arriving.