Contrações obrigatórias: do, da, no, na, pelo, pela, ao, à
Contrações obrigatórias: do, da, no, na, pelo, pela, ao, à means “Preposition + article always merge into one word — never write "de o" or "em a"”. This is one of the first things that makes written Portuguese look different from Spanish. Formation: de+o=do · de+a=da · em+o=no · em+a=na · por+o=pelo · por+a=pela · a+o=ao · a+a=à
Preposition + article always merge into one word — never write "de o" or "em a"
A1Formation
de+o=do · de+a=da · em+o=no · em+a=na · por+o=pelo · por+a=pela · a+o=ao · a+a=à
Explanation
This is one of the first things that makes written Portuguese look different from Spanish. Spanish contracts only two combinations (al, del); Portuguese contracts a whole system, and the contraction is obligatory in every register, spoken and written. The four core prepositions are de, em, por and a: de + o/a/os/as → do/da/dos/das; em + o/a/os/as → no/na/nos/nas; por + o/a → pelo/pela; a + o/a → ao/à. The same merging happens with demonstratives too: de + este = deste, em + esse = nesse, de + aquilo = daquilo. A Spanish speaker's instinct to write "por o carro" is simply not Portuguese — it must be pelo carro.
Examples
Note
For Spanish speakers this is the single highest-value habit to drill early: Spanish has only al and del, so there is nothing to transfer.
FAQ
Contrações obrigatórias: do, da, no, na, pelo, pela, ao, à — what does it mean and how is it used?
Preposition + article always merge into one word — never write "de o" or "em a". This is one of the first things that makes written Portuguese look different from Spanish. Spanish contracts only two combinations (al, del); Portuguese contracts a whole system, and the contraction is obligatory in every register, spoken and written. The four core prepositions are de, em, por and a: de + o/a/os/as → do/da/dos/das; em + o/a/os/as → no/na/nos/nas; por + o/a → pelo/pela; a + o/a → ao/à. The same merging happens with demonstratives too: de + este = deste, em + esse = nesse, de + aquilo = daquilo. A Spanish speaker's instinct to write "por o carro" is simply not Portuguese — it must be pelo carro.
Contrações obrigatórias: do, da, no, na, pelo, pela, ao, à — how do you form it?
de+o=do · de+a=da · em+o=no · em+a=na · por+o=pelo · por+a=pela · a+o=ao · a+a=à
Contrações obrigatórias: do, da, no, na, pelo, pela, ao, à — any usage notes?
For Spanish speakers this is the single highest-value habit to drill early: Spanish has only al and del, so there is nothing to transfer.