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de la, but we will also tell you about its etymology, its characteristics and you will know how to say
de la in singular and plural. Everything you need to know about the word
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French
Pronunciation
Article
de la f (masculine du, plural des)
- of the
- some; the feminine partitive article
- Voudriez-vous de la confiture ? ― Would you like some jam?
- J’ai mangé de la tarte ― I ate some pie.
Usage notes
- While English does have the partitive determiner some, the French article de la frequently translates to nothing at all in English; for example, the above example « J'ai mangé de la tarte » could also be translated simply as “I ate pie.”
- Like the definite article la (from which it derives), the partitive article de la undergoes elision, becoming de l’- before most words that start with vowel sounds.
Further reading
Romanian
Etymology
de + la, literally, “from at”.
Preposition
de la (+accusative)
- from (spatial, relational, causal)
- Synonyms: de, din (not interchangeable)
- Au furat ceva de la casa ta. ― They stole something from your house.
- Am învățat mult de la tine. ― I've learned a lot from you.
- Am obosit de la citit. ― I'm tired from reading.
- de la A la Z ― from A to Z
- de la distanță ― from afar
- from, since (temporal)
- Synonyms: de, din (not interchangeable, see notes)
- Este treaz de la ora opt. ― He is awake since eight o'clock.
- de la început ― from the beginning
- by (instrumental)
- de la sine ― by itself
- Word to join the parts of a compound; sometimes corresponding to "of".
- Synonym: de
- buzunar de la pantalon ― pant pocket
- apă de la robinet ― tap water
- abatere de la lege ― breach of law
Usage notes
- When constructing phrases of the form "from X to Y", it is usually accompanied by "(până) la": "de la X (până) la Y"
(since (temporal)):
de la is usually used together with a fixed point in time (though not with dates):
- de la ora nouă ― since nine o'clock
- de la ianuarie ― since January
din is usually used together with dates or in certain expressions:
- din (anul) 2000 ― since (the year) 2000
- din acel moment ― from that moment on
de is usually used for time frames:
- de un an ― for a year
- de mult timp ― for a long time
Derived terms
Spanish
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): /de la/
- Syllabification: de la
Article
de la
- of the