autour de

Question

- i was told that it is always autour DE (by a french conversation teacher),  Is this something that is so commonly used incorrectly that it has become acceptable over time? (in one of your examples, and in others from other sites, it is autour DE LA lune, or autour DU monde.)

Jim Jones · Accepted Answer

I don't understand why it would be described as something used incorrectly.
"Autour" is an adverb
"Autour de" is a preposition
So to write "autour de la lune"  would express "around the moon" and autour du (de le) monde would express "around the world"
 
Hope that this will help?

Carole Grant · Answer

thanks.i'm just confused as to when DE always remains DE and when it sometimes goes to "DE, D', DE LA, DES"

Chris Wirt · Answer

The forms of "de" you quote are all contractions with whatever comes afterwards. For example:de le = du, de les = des