Unit 10: Structures with “hacer,” introduction to perfect tenses, translation considerations (part 1)
10.7 Ellipsis of Nouns
The forms of the definite article (el, la, los, las) + de often take the place of a previously mentioned or understood noun. As long as you know which is the noun antecedent, this should not pose comprehension problems. Note in the examples below the differing translations in English.
| No sólo encontré mi pasaporte, sino también el de Katia. | I not only found my passport, but Katia’s too. (literally, “that of Katia.”) |
| Prefiero esta camisa y la gris. | I prefer this shirt and the gray one. |
| Los de color blanco son de Patricia. | The white ones are Patricia’s. (antecedent understood) |
| Su esposa es la del vestido largo. | His wife is the one in the long dress. |
| Nuestra hija es la del pelo negro. | Our daughter is the one with the black hair. |
