Trajes de baño pregunta

Hola! 

Why is the word swimsuit "trajes de baño"  and not "trajes del baño"? I would think it would be del because it is de + el, no? 

Gracias! 
 

When and when not to use articles can be tough. The following is an example of how the meaning changes depending on the inclusion (or not) of an article:
- La cara de la luna - the face of the moon
- La cara de luna - the moon face

 

I think most times it depends on how detailed you want to be. Like if you said the mouth of the dog, you would say, "el boca del perro"...or you could just say "el boca de perro", which basically means (like Steven said, "the moon face") "the dog mouth".
I also think it's funny that in the words for "swimsuit" Spanish speakers use "baño". I've never been known to swim in the bathtub, but it's just one of those things (why do we drive on the parkway, and park on the driveway?).

I agree with Steven: deciding when to use or not use a definite article is challenging, and in some cases is counterintuitive to an English speaker. For example, my understanding is that you use a definite article if you are talking about things in general, such as:
 

Thank you for your responses! This helps 

Wow, Dan! Creative sentence there! I wouldn't have thought of that before now :-P

Kellaur: I wish I could take credit for it, but I can't. It is usually attributed to Benjamin Franklin, but he apparently didn't say it either. So heck, maybe I can take credit for it! In any case, I agree with whoever did say it.

Hi guys!

It's a good question :) In this case, "de" is acting here as a preposition with the meaning of "for" in English. If you used "del" it would imply "of"  as if the suit belonged to the bath hehe

If it sounds awkward, you can also call it "bañador".

Cheers!
 

And "bañador" is also 2 syllables shorter!