B1 · Nouns and articles
When two nouns belong together
Spanish does not compound, it joins with de.
English stacks two nouns: «toothbrush», «bus station», «house key». Spanish puts them side by side and joins them with de — in the reverse order: cepillo de dientes, estación de autobuses, llave de casa.
The first word is the thing, the second says what it belongs to. Coming from English you therefore have to swap the parts round — and that is the commonest mistake in this group.
There are real compounds too, usually a verb plus a plural noun: el abrelatas, el paraguas, el sacacorchos. They are masculine and do not change in the plural.
Die Form
| purpose | cepillo de dientes |
| place | estación de tren |
| material | mesa de madera |
| contents | taza de café |
| verb + noun | el abrelatas, los abrelatas |
| with para | crema para las manos |
Die Regeln im Einzelnen
The main thing goes first, what defines it goes after de.
Es una tienda de ropa.It is a clothes shop.
The second noun usually takes no article.
un billete de trena train ticket
Compounds of verb plus plural are masculine and do not change in the plural.
Compré dos paraguas.I bought two umbrellas.
What something is for can also take para.
una caja para herramientasa toolbox
Woran man es erkennt
- de
- para
- abre-
- saca-
- para-
Beispielsätze
¿Dónde está la parada de autobús?Where is the bus stop?
Perdí la llave de casa.I have lost the house key.
Es un reloj de pulsera.It is a wristwatch.
Necesito un sacacorchos.I need a corkscrew.
Noch 6 Beispielsätze
¿Tienes crema para las manos?Do you have any hand cream?
Es una mesa de madera maciza.It is a solid wood table.
Compramos billetes de ida y vuelta.We bought return tickets.
El abrelatas está en el cajón.The tin opener is in the drawer.
Un curso de cocina italiana.A course in Italian cooking.
La puerta del garaje no cierra.The garage door does not shut.
Die typisch deutsche Falle
Aufgepasst
The English order stays put: dientes cepillo for «toothbrush». In Spanish the thing comes first and what defines it comes after: cepillo de dientes. Read the English compound from the back and you have it.
Read the English backwards and you have the Spanish order — with de in between.
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