The definite article el is contracted with the preposition de into del and with the preposition a into al as:

del extranjero - of "or" from the foreigner
al caballero español - to the Spanish gentleman

These are the only contractions that occur in Spanish; with the other prepositions the article simply follows, as:

• by the father - por el padre
  
• for the father - para el padre
  
• with the father - con el padre
  
• in the father - en el padre
  
• on the father - sobre el padre
  
• without the father - sin el padre
  
• behind the father - tras el padre
  

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