Au, aux, du, des: when à and de collide with the article
CEFR A1
What you will learn
- Form au and aux from à + le/les.
- Form du and des from de + le/les while keeping à la, à l’, de la and de l’.
The idea
“à” and “de” cannot sit next to “le” and “les”: they merge, and it is not a stylistic choice.
There are four mergers and no more: “à + le” gives “au”, “à + les” gives “aux”, “de + le” gives “du” and “de + les” gives “des”. They are written that way always, in every register, in every sentence.
With the feminine and with the elided form nothing happens: “à la maison”, “à l'école”, “de la fille”, “de l'homme” stay whole. So there are only two articles to watch, “le” and “les”.
What makes this hard is not the rule, it is noticing that you are using “à” or “de” at all. “Aller” takes “à” — “je vais au cinéma” — “parler” takes “de” — “je parle du film” — and “la voiture de le voisin” is impossible for the same reason: there is a “de” hidden inside the possessive.
And watch “du” and “des”, which are also the partitive forms. You tell them apart by meaning, not by shape: in “je parle du film” there is a “de” demanded by the verb; in “je mange du pain” there is no “de” at all, it is the undefined quantity. Some sentences even allow both readings, and context decides.
Contractions with à and de
| article | à + article | de + article |
|---|---|---|
| le | au | du |
| la | à la | de la |
| l' | à l' | de l' |
| les | aux | des |
How it sounds
- Je vais au cinéma ce soir.“Aller à” + “le cinéma” merge into “au”.
- Elle écrit aux enfants.Plural: “à + les” gives “aux”. “À les” does not exist.
- C'est la voiture du voisin.The French possessive has a “de” inside it, which is why it contracts.
- Nous parlons de la fille et de l'homme.With the feminine and before a vowel there is no merger: they stay apart.
Your turn
Two or three, to check that the bit above landed.
Je vais ___ école à pied.
à l' — “École” starts with a vowel: it elides and does not merge.
Il parle ___ professeurs de sa fille.
aux — It is plural: “à + les” merge into “aux”; gender does not change this contraction.
C'est le chien ___ voisin.
du — “De + le voisin” merge into “du”. “De le” is never written.
When it doesn't hold
What breaks the rule, said out loud. Hiding it is what makes you feel cheated in the exam.
- When “Le” is part of a proper name it does not merge: it belongs to the name, not to the grammar.J'aime la musique de Le Corbusier.
- This sentence has two readings: “de + les enfants” (I am talking about those children) or the undefined plural (I am talking about children). Same spelling, and only context separates them.Je parle des enfants.
What your own language pushes you to say
Wrong Je parle de le film.
Right Je parle du film.
English keeps “to the” and “of the” as separate words, so “de le film” may look plausible. French instead contracts “de + le” to “du” and “à + le” to “au”.
Curriculum alignment and sources
- CEFR A1 · elementary repertoire for concrete needs and very simple interaction. · Common European Framework of Reference for Languages: Companion Volume
- MCER como referencia; sin asignación estatal A1 por curso. · Real Decreto 217/2022, currículo básico de ESO
- A1 al final de classe terza; A1.1/A1.2 son subdivisiones editoriales. · Decreto 9 dicembre 2025, n. 221 · nuove Indicazioni nazionali
Once it makes sense
Practise this: à and de with the article: au, aux, du, desGender and the article: le, la, l', un, uneThe present tense and the explicit subjectTwo-part negation: ne… pas wraps around the verbAccents and the cedilla: they do not tell you where the stress fallsDu, de la, des: the article your language leaves outThe passé composé: two pieces and an auxiliary you have to choose