CONTRACTIONS OF DEFINITE ARTICLES WITH À

à followed by le becomes au

à followed by la remains à la

à followed by l’ remains à l’

à followed by les becomes aux

le restaurant la gare (the railway station) l’aéroport Les États Unis (United States)
le café la banque l’hôtel les bains (the public baths)
le marché (the market) la maison (home/the house) l’université
le magasin (the shop) la poste (the post office) l’hôpital
le bureau (the office) la piscine (the swimming
pool)
le bar la mer (the sea/the seaside)
le cinéma la campagne (the countryside)
le théâtre la montagne (the mountains)
le concert la bibliothèque (the library)
la discothèque
la librairie (the bookshop)

Examples :

Je vais au bureau (I am going to the office/I am going to work)

Ils vont au cinéma (They are going to see a movie)

Est-ce que tu rentres à la maison (Are you going home? ) (rentrer – to return)

Elles arrivent à l’aéroport. (They arrive at the airport)

Je vais passer les vacances à la mer/à la campagne/à la montagne. (I am going to spend the holidays by
the sea/in the countryside/in the mountains.) (passer – to spend (time), les vacances – holidays)

Vous voyagez aux États-Unis? (Are you travelling to the United States?)

Je vais acheter des livres à la librairie universitaire. (I am going to buy some books at the university
bookshop.)

Nous restons à l’hôtel. (We are staying at the hotel.) (rester – to stay, to remain)

Il aime manger au restaurant méxicain. (He likes eating at the Mexican restaurant.)