El and la

[hwils66]

I'm not sure when to use "el" and "la." If I wanted to say "Spanish class" would I say "la clase de español" or "la clase del español?"

Thanks.

[Jessica]

you say la clase de español
you already know that el is for masculine nouns and la for feminine? There are some irregular ones though, like la mano.

[hwils66]

Yes, I know the difference between masculine and feminine. What I am asking is when are they used. Should it be "la clase de español" or "la clase de del (de el) español. In other words, should "el" be used in this instance when refering to "español" and if not, why not.

Thanks

[Jessica]

yeah it's la clase de español but I'm not sure why el is not used
lo siento
I'm no expert :P

[hwils66]

Thanks

[Jessica]

you're welcome

[Rusty]

In the phrase clase de español, you are describing the class. The two words on the end work together to form the adjective. They define what type of class it is.
If, on the other hand, you were trying to convey possession, the word de would be used, followed by a noun with an article, as in clase del español. This means the Spaniard's class.