📌 Article Contractions in Spanish: a + el = al In Spanish, the preposition a and the masculine singular article el contract to form al. ✅ Correct form 👉 Voy al cine. (a + el cine → al cine) ❌ Incorrect form 👉 Voy a el cine ❌ 📍 When does this contraction happen? a + el → al It happens always, without exceptions, when el is an article. 🚨 Important exception There is NO contraction when El is part of a proper name. 👉 Voy a El Salvador. ✅ 👉 Hablamos de El Quijote. ✅ 🧠 Quick rule to remember If el = “the”, use al If El = name, no contraction