Often, we’re taught that a preposition describes the place of a noun.
Prepositions likewise explain the relationship in between a noun/pronoun and other words in a sentence.
Even if you’re a master of English prepositions, Spanish prepositions are another ballgame–
Here, we’ll cover both
compound and basic prepositions in Spanish.
Read on for 40 of the most typical Spanish prepositions, plus when and how to utilize them. ContentsClick here to get a copy. (Download)
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What is a Preposition? A preposition is a word that reveals the relationship in between a noun (or pronoun) and other components in a sentence. Prepositions frequently
show place, instructions, time or the relationship in between various items
Prepositions can be difficult due to the fact that they do not constantly have direct, basic translations in between languages and can frequently be equated in a different way depending upon how they’re utilized. For example, the Spanish preposition
Vivo en Madrid. en can imply “in,” “on,” “at,” “into” or “by” depending upon the context:
( I live
El libro está en la mesa. in Madrid).
( The book is
Estoy en la oficina. on the table).
( I’m
El gato se metió en la caja. at the workplace).
( The feline crawled
Llegamos en taxi. into package.)
( We showed up
by
taxi.)
| Simple Spanish Prepositions | Here are 23 of the most typical Spanish prepositions. You’ll see that a lot of them have numerous significances: | Preposition |
|---|---|---|
| a | Meaning( s)
Example to utilized to link |
Voy a la casa de mi amiga. ir
Ellos van a nadar. to an infinitive Tengo que llamar a mi mamá. |
| ante | ( They’re going to swim.) | El acusado fue presentado ante un juez. ( I need to call my mother.) |
| bajo | previously, in the face of (utilized in official speech)
( The accused appeared before a judge.) |
El perro está bajo la mesa. under, below
Bajo Kim Jong-un, Corea del Norte ha tenido muchos problemas. under the guideline of a political figure |
| cabe |
( The pet is under the table.)
( Under Kim Jong-un, North Korea has actually had numerous issues.) |
La casa estaba cabe el bosque. near to, beside |
| con | * Rarely utilized in contemporary Spanish however can still be discovered in literature
( The home was beside the forest.) |
Voy a la fiesta con mis amigos. with (accompaniment)
Con todo lo que ha pasado en mi vida, me mantengo optimista. with (to stress value of something) |
| contra |
( I’m going to the celebration with my pals.)
( With whatever that’s taken place in my life, I stay an optimist.) |
No tengo nada contra él. versus (opposed to)
La mesa está contra la pared. versus (physical place) |
| de |
( I do not have anything versus him.)
( The table protests the wall.) from (suggesting origin) from (suggesting cause) of (suggesting structure) |
Mi abuela es de Canadá. of (suggesting ownership)
Ella estaba gritando de tristeza. about El plato está hecho de plástico. Este libro es de mi hermana. Él puede hablar de muchos temas. |
| desde |
( This book is my sibling’s.)
( He can speak about numerous subjects.) |
No la he visto desde ayer. considering that |
| durante | ( I have not seen her considering that the other day.) | Recuerde, no hable durante la película. ( I’ll call my mom from your home.) |
| en | throughout
( Remember, no talking throughout the motion picture.) in (physical place) in (suggesting way) into |
Las cerezas están en la nevera. by (suggesting ways)
Mi padre habla en voz alta. at (physical place) Puso la carta en el buzón. Voy a la biblioteca en coche. Estoy en el trabajo. |
| entre |
( I go to the library by automobile.)
( I’m at work.) |
La puerta está entre las ventanas. in between |
| hacia |
( The door is in between the windows.)
( I discovered my sibling amongst the crowd.) |
Ellos corrieron hacia la salida del edificio. towards
Voy a llegar hacia las dos de la tarde. about, around (approximate time) |
| hasta |
( They ran towards the structure’s exit.)
( I’m going to show up around 2 in the afternoon.) till |
Ellos se van a quedar con nosotros hasta mañana. as much as
Este ascensor tiene capacidad para hasta 10 personas. down to La temperatura bajó hasta los 10 grados. |
| mediante | ( This elevator has capability for as much as 10 individuals.) | Realizaremos la reunión mediante una videollamada. ( The temperature level decreased to 10 degrees.) |
| para | through, by ways of
( We’ll hold the conference through a video call.) |
Le compré un regalo muy bonito para Navidad. for
Para llegar a mi casa hay que subir una gran colina. to, in order to |
| por |
( I purchased him an extremely great present for Christmas.)
( In order to get to my home, you need to go up a huge hill.) Due to the fact that of Ellos pasaron por el pasillo. through |
|
| según | ,
for |
Según el tiempo, podemos ir a la playa. by
Según su madre, la tienda cierra a las siete. |
| sin | ( To go to the fitness center, you need to go by the drug store.) | Ahora, Elena puede hacer su tarea sin la ayuda de sus padres. Due to the fact that of the influenza.),( I didn’t go to work |
| so |
( They went through the corridor.)
( They’re 15 dollars per pound.) depending upon according to |
So pretexto de trabajar hasta tarde, planeó una fiesta sorpresa para su novio. under |
| sobre | * You’ll likely just see
so in literary contexts, or in expressions like |
Por favor, no pongas tu ropa sucia sobre la mesa. so pretexto de
Busco un libro sobre animales salvajes. (under the pretext/guise of) and El avión voló sobre el océano. so pena de |
| tras | (under the hazard of). | Mes tras mes, ella se siente cada vez más tranquila. ( Under the pretext of burning the midnight oil, she prepared a surprise celebration for her partner.) |
| versus | on | Este juego es el equipo de mi hermana versus el equipo de mi mejor amiga… ¡No sé a quién apoyar! about |
| vía | over
( Please do not put your filthy clothing on the table.) |
Viajé a Costa Rica vía los Estados Unidos. ( I’m trying to find a book about wild animals.) La jefa le enviará el horario vía correo electrónico. |
after
( Month after month, she feels significantly calmer.) versus, versus
( This video game is my sibling’s group versus my buddy’s group … I do not understand who to root for!)
| through, by method of | by, through | ( I took a trip to Costa Rica by method of the United States.) |
|---|---|---|
| a pesar de | ( The manager will send you the schedule by e-mail.) | Mi hermano quiere hacer paracaidismo a pesar de su miedo a las alturas. Compound Spanish Prepositions |
| a través de | Compound prepositions are groups of more than one word that, together, have the function of a preposition. In Spanish, they’re called | Nos comunicamos a través de mensajes de texto mientras él estaba de viaje. locuciones preposicionales |
| al lado de | ( prepositional expressions). | Me gusta mucho el restaurante que está al lado de la playa. Preposition |
| además de | Meaning( s) | Además de tocar el piano, ¿qué te gusta hacer? Example |
| alrededor de | regardless of
( My sibling wishes to go sky diving regardless of his worry of heights.) |
Hay flores alrededor de la iglesia. through
En la escuela, hay alrededor de 1500 estudiantes. |
| cerca de | next to, beside | El hotel está cerca de muchos restaurantes y tiendas. ( I truly like the dining establishment that’s beside the beach.) |
| debajo de | besides, in addition to | El gato estaba sentando debajo de la silla. ( Besides playing piano, what do you like to do?) |
| delante de | around (physical place) | Solo mantente por delante de los otros corredores y estarás bien. around (providing an approximation) |
| dentro de |
( There are flowers around the church.)
( In the school, there are around 1500 trainees.) |
Hay muchos autobuses dentro de los límites de la ciudad. near to, near
La compañía se pondrá en contacto con nosotros dentro de una semana. |
| detrás de | under, below | Ella caminó detrás de su tía. ( The feline was sitting below the chair.) |
| en cuanto a | in front of | En cuanto a tus preguntas, las responderé al final de la presentación. ( Just remain in front of the other runners and you’ll be great.) |
| en lugar de withinen vez de | inside | ¿Podrías hacerlo con miel en lugar de azúcar? ( The business will return to us within a week.) Prefiero té en vez de café por la tarde. |
| encima de | behind | Tu sombrero está encima de la cama. ( She strolled behind her auntie.) |
| frente a | when it comes to, concerning | Hay un McDonald’s frente a mi escuela. ( Regarding your concerns, I’ll address them at the end of the discussion.) |
| fuera de | / | El perro esperó fuera del hospital. rather of |
| junto a |
( Could you make it with honey rather of sugar?)
( I choose tea rather of coffee in the afternoon.) |
¿Está su casa junto a la parada de autobús? on top of
Durante la formación, trabajará junto a profesionales cualificados. |
| lejos de | in front of | El supermercado está lejos de mi casa ( There is a McDonald’s in front of my school.) |
beyond
( The pet waited beyond the health center.)
beside, by
along with
-
( Is their home beside the bus stop?)
( During the training, you will work along with certified specialists.) far fromEstoy en casa
( The grocery store is far from my home.) - When and How to Use Spanish Prepositions As we’ve seen, prepositions are flexible and can have numerous significances, so you need to think about the context of the sentence. Knowing prepositions in context through practice and direct exposure to genuine language usage is vital for proficiency. Here are some examples of when and how to utilize Spanish prepositions for various functions: Voy a la tienda Location and Direction
- Use en to show remaining in a location:Camina hacia el parque
( I’m at home).
Use
a
to show motion towards a location:
( I’m going to the shop).
Use hacia for a more particular instructions:
( He strolls towards the park). Timedefinite article Manner and Possession Cause and Purposeal When Prepositions Combine with Other Wordsdel.
Note that the prepositions a
Voy al gimnasio después del trabajo. and
deconmigo integrate with the contigo:
¿Quieres ir al baile conmigo? Porque me encantaría ir contigo. el
( the) to develop
and For example:
( I go to the fitness center after work.)
- When we wish to state “with me” or “with you” (the casual “you”) we state
or
( Do you wish to go to the dance with me? Due to the fact that I ‘d like to choose you.)Spanish.ToLearnFree.com Where to Practice Spanish Prepositions Online So you’re now beginning your venture to remember each and every single Spanish preposition! Okay, possibly not - all FluentU program of them, however you do desire them to begin concerning you more quickly. Here are some terrific methods to practice Spanish prepositions:
- LearnSpanishFeelGood.com A simple and fast test to start your preposition practice can be discovered at por and para.
- SpanishBoat.com Each concern includes a drop-down list of prepositions for you to pick from. The provides a range of Spanish videos with interactive subtitles, so you can immerse yourself in the language and
discover prepositions directly from native speakers.
functions
24 workouts to check your understanding of prepositions.
It consists of activities like utilizing prepositions of time and the distinction in between
. provides a Click here to get a copy. (Download)
fill-in-the-blank test.
You can utilize the word box to assist you put the right preposition in each blank, or attempt to do it directly from memory. Keep attempting till you get them all! will then love FluentU By investing time into finding out prepositions and how they’re utilized, you can get more comfy utilizing them in various contexts.
Bookmark this page and return to it whenever you have a couple of minutes to evaluate.
You’ll quickly feel far more positive speaking Spanish!
Download:
This article is offered as a portable and hassle-free PDF that you.
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