"Do you need to go to the bank?"

Translation: ¿Necesitas ir al banco?

[Eunice997272]

I must be a real dunce, but I just cannot get the hang of when I should use "al" or "del". Help please

[Levi.Blodgett]

https://www.cliffsnotes.com/cliffsnotes/subjects/foreign-languages/in-spanish-how-do-i-know-when-to-use-de-del-a-and-al

It is a really hard concept.

One is a contraction of a + el and the other is a contraction of de + el.

[Lexispan]

Thanks very much for this useful reference.

[PhilipOrourke]

Your not a dunce, your a good human being.

[MarkLindse9]

Why is "a el" incorrect and only "al" acceptable?

[RichardWallace0]

Preposition combines with Masculine Definite Article to form Contraction :- a + el = al (to/towards the...)
de + el = del (of/from the...)

[Hippoposthumous]

He's asking whether it's grammatically possible to not use a contraction, not what the contractions are.

[MattPotter4]

Yes. these are obligatory contractions in Spanish

[Levi.Blodgett]

I think solely to teach the contraction because both are correct.

[Rosa235487]

In the hover notes it said that en also meant to, so why wouldn't en el banco mean to the bank?

[Katch]

can't i use "¿necesita usted ir al banco?" - is there an error there?

[IswtdL]

why can't I say necesita usted

[CherylUrbanPlnr]

I cannot figure out when to use al or del

[missnicolemarie]

I studied in Spain and understand that Duolingo is more for Latin American Spanish, but I put "tengo que ir al banco" and couldn't that be correct as well?

[Marcus128364]

I think that form is taught in an upcoming lesson, so maybe it wasn't accepted because Duo does not expect you to know it yet?

[tattmoney]

Necesito ir al baño

[SueClarke0]

why irte not ir

[DanBuskirk]

Why is "a la" incorrect? Isn't "al" a contraction?

[Levi.Blodgett]

´al´ is a contraction of a + el, while there is not an equivalent contraction for a + la.

So ´al´ for a masculine noun, and ´a la´ for a feminine noun.

[Mike399645]

I wrote Usted Mecesitas ir al banco? Duo said I used the wrong word and should have answered Usted precisa ir al banco? Can someone explain where "precisa" came from at this point in the lessons?