What is the difference between "al" and "a la"?

Question

Consider the following sentence: > Vamos a entender a la maestra. (We are going to understand the teacher) I remember seeing in a similar sentence the word `al` being used instead of `a la`. So are these two ways of referencing the person interchangeable? Or are there specific contexts in which one must be used over the other?

Answer 1

Both mean "to the." However "a la" is used before a feminine noun as in "a la estación" or "a la parada de autobus," while "al" is used before a masculine noun as in "al cine" or "al museo."

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Answer 2

You would use "al" in your example, if your teacher were male: "Vamos entender al maestro." "Al" is the Spanish combination form for "a el." It's similar to the contraction "del" which is a combination of "de" and "el."

Since your teacher is female, you use the female "la."

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