de la

/də la/
determiner★Beginner
general

Used to indicate possession or association with a feminine singular noun that follows. Equivalent to 'of the' in English.

C'est la maison de la famille.

It's the house of the family.

Elle est la fille de la voisine.

She is the daughter of the neighbor.

💡

This is the feminine singular form of 'du' (of the masculine singular) and 'de l' (of the singular before a vowel).

Collocations

de la chancegood luckde la nourriturefoodde la musiquemusic

Synonyms

Related Phrases

duphrase
of the (masculine singular)
de l'phrase
of the (singular before a vowel)
desphrase
of the (plural)

💡Pro Tip

Gender Agreement

Remember that 'de la' is used with feminine singular nouns. For masculine singular nouns, use 'du,' and for plural nouns, use 'des.'

⚡Gold Rule

Definite Article Contraction

'De la' is a contraction of 'de' (of) and 'la' (the feminine singular). It is essential for indicating possession or association with feminine singular nouns.

📖Word Origin

Derived from the contraction of the preposition 'de' (of) and the definite article 'la' (the feminine singular).

📝Usage Notes

This phrase is used before feminine singular nouns to indicate possession or association. For masculine singular nouns, use 'du,' and for nouns starting with a vowel, use 'de l'.

Word Breakdown

de
of
preposition
+
la
the (feminine singular)
definite article
Dictionnaire Français-Anglais