Use Spanish Prepositions Like a Professional: Full Checklist + Examples

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What’s a preposition in Spanish? A préposición (preposition) is a phrase or phrase that explains the connection between a noun or pronoun and one other phrase within the sentence. They’re frequent phrases like en (on/in), de (from), and a (to/at) that assist us talk extra clearly. 

With a whole checklist, contextual examples, and a breakdown by perform, you’ll cowl all of the important Spanish prepositions, their features in Spanish grammar, and how one can use them successfully on this information. 

Why study Spanish prepositions?

As in any language, Spanish prepositions are an vital a part of studying to talk with better precision and fluency. Take the next instance:

• Las flores están en la mesa. = The flowers are on the desk. 

Within the sentence above, en (on) is a preposition that reveals the connection between “the flowers” and “the desk” by way of location. Now, contemplate how every preposition may give the sentence a distinct that means:

• Las flores están debajo de la mesa. = The flowers are under the desk.
• Las flores están encima de la mesa. = The flowers are on high of the desk.
• Las flores están cerca de la mesa. = The flowers are close to the desk.
• Las flores están al lado de la mesa. = The flowers are subsequent to the desk.

Utilizing the fitting preposition is crucial for efficient communication. Mastering prepositions in Spanish will show you how to converse extra descriptively and provide you with a robust basis to construct on as you broaden your vocabulary. 

What features do Spanish prepositions serve? 

Prepositions serve a number of features, permitting audio system to specific relationships and concepts. Listed here are a few of their frequent features in Spanish:

Full checklist of frequent Spanish prepositions

This checklist will provide you with an summary of the most typical Spanish prepositions with their English translations. You’ll discover that Spanish prepositions typically have multiple that means and serve a number of features.  

Spanish prepositions by perform

Now that you just’re accustomed to some frequent prepositions, these classes will show you how to perceive when and how one can use each accurately. Since prepositions can have multiple that means, it’s useful to study them categorized by perform.  

Origin and vacation spot

You’ll use prepositions to explain the origin or vacation spot of individuals or issues. They’re a part of important Spanish phrases for touring.

• Voy para Panamá. = I’m going to Panama.
• La mujer viaja desde Chile hasta Uruguay. = The girl is touring from Chile to Uruguay.
• Por la noche, los relámpagos se pueden ver desde lejos. = At evening, lightning bolts might be seen from distant.
  

Motion

Prepositions are additionally used to explain the course one thing or somebody is shifting. 

• La semana pasada, caminé por el parque. = Final week, I walked via the park.
• Hoy es domingo. Están caminando por el parque. = In the present day is Sunday. They’re strolling via the park. 
  
• El gato está caminando hacia el río. = The cat is strolling towards the river.
• Allí está. Viene caminando hacia aquí. = There she is. She’s strolling towards us. 

This Spanish prepositions checklist will show you how to if you’re discussing journey and actions. 

Geographical location

Just like motion, geographical location is expressed with prepositional phrases. ¡Pero, ojo! (slang for “however, be careful” in Spanish). In English, you’d in all probability say “north of” as an alternative of “to the north of,” however you’ll want to make use of the whole phrase in Spanish.

Should you’re visiting one (or all) of the 21 Spanish-speaking international locations, realizing how one can discuss the place issues are situated will likely be very useful. 

• El parque está al sur de los apartamentos. = The park is to the south of the flats.
• Hay un supermercado al oeste de la biblioteca. = There’s a grocery store to the west of the library.
• Australia está al este de África. = Australia is to the east of Africa. 
  
• El Océano Ártico está al norte de todos los continentes. = The Arctic Ocean is to the north of the entire continents.
  

Time

Some prepositions join a noun to extra Spanish nouns or different phrases in a sentence and present their relationship in time. For instance:

• No me esperes hasta las cinco. = Don’t anticipate me till 5:00.
• No voy a llegar antes del almuerzo. = I’m not going to reach earlier than lunch.
• Les ayudo con él después de almorzar. = I’ll show you how to with it after lunch. 

Notice that the preposition de will contract with any noun starting with the particular article el (the), forming del, which doesn’t all the time have an equal translation in English. Extra about how and when prepositions change type will likely be lined later on this information. The desk covers extra prepositions used to explain time and length.

Bodily location

Usually a preposition tells you the place one thing or somebody is bodily in relation to somebody or one thing else. For instance:

• Juan está delante del carro. = Juan is in entrance of the automotive.
• Creo que nuestro carro está cerca de aquel restaurante. = I believe our automotive is shut to that restaurant. 
  

You may need observed that the verb estar (to be) is commonly used with these prepositions, since they present the placement of individuals or issues. There’s one exception to ser vs. estar and placement, although: While you’re discussing the place an occasion takes place, you’ll use ser (to be).

• Los estudiantes están en el auditorio. = The scholars are in the auditorium.
• El concierto es en el auditorio. = The live performance is in the auditorium.

The primary sentence tells you the place the scholars are situated, and it makes use of estar. The second tells you the place the live performance takes place, so it makes use of ser. See the desk for extra prepositions of place in Spanish.

Relationships

One of many important functions of a preposition is to point out the connection or connection between two or extra individuals or issues. The connection might be concrete, resembling:

• El hombre se encuentra con su novia para desayunar. = The person meets with his girlfriend for breakfast. 
  

Or it may be an summary, intangible relationship resembling:

• Según el artículo, el estudiante recibió una beca. = In response to the article, the coed acquired a scholarship.

The next checklist contains prepositions that present a relationship, whether or not concrete or summary.

Why do some Spanish prepositions change type? 

Have you ever observed that prepositions in Spanish can change their type relying on the context? For instance, when de is positioned subsequent to el in a sentence, it turns into del. 

Contractions are non-compulsory in English, resembling “you’re” as an alternative of “you’re.” You can use both type and nonetheless be grammatically right and simply understood. Nevertheless, Spanish grammar requires you to make use of del and al. Leaving the phrases separate can be incorrect.

Del and al are the one contractions that exist in Spanish grammar, and also you’ll encounter them typically when utilizing Spanish prepositions.

Del

The contraction del is fashioned by combining the preposition de (of/from) with the article el (the). For instance, if you wish to mix: 

• encima de = on high of
• el sofá = the couch
• El libro está encima del sofá. = The guide is on high of the couch.

Al

The contraction al is fashioned in the same approach. The preposition a (to/at) combines with the article el (the.) 

• voy a = I’m going to
• el parque = the park.
• Voy al parque. = I’m going to the park.

These two contractions save time and make speech stream extra simply in Spanish. Give it a strive—you’ll see that they’re a lot simpler to pronounce.

• Es importante llegar al aeropuerto temprano.= It’s vital to reach on the airport early. 
  
• Le agrego azúcar al té.= I’m including sugar to the tea. 
  

Should you really feel prepared for some extra superior Spanish grammar with prepositions, go deeper into the variations between por vs. para, two vital prepositions that may change the that means of the sentence. Figuring out how one can use these will remember to impress native audio system.

How do Spanish prepositions differ? 

There are a number of vital variations between Spanish and English prepositions that will likely be useful to remember. 

There are fewer prepositions in Spanish

Spanish grammar has fewer prepositions than English does. Consequently, Spanish prepositions typically have a number of potential translations, which rely solely on context.

Understanding these variations won’t solely show you how to perceive primary Spanish phrases higher, but additionally talk extra clearly. 

For instance, the preposition a has a number of potential meanings in English, past merely “to” in Spanish. 

• to: Voy a la biblioteca. = I’m going to the library. 
  
• at: El avión llega a las dos y media de la mañana. = The airplane arrives at 2:30 within the morning.
  
• on: ¿El vuelo sale a horario? = Is the flight leaving on time? 
  
• by: Prefiero escribir a mano para tomar apuntes. = I choose to put in writing by hand to take notes. 

Spanish prepositions are extra literal

Prepositions in Spanish are extra literal than in English. Contemplate that you just’ll typically say you’re “at” a spot in English, however you must say you’re “in” that place in Spanish.

If there’s no motion concerned, use en in Spanish. You’ll want to recollect this when utilizing Spanish phrases for locations, like the place you’re employed, elements of a home, or locations in the neighborhood. For instance:

• Yo trabajo en un hospital. = I work at the hospital.
  
• Estoy en la cocina. = I’m in the kitchen.
  
• Compras pescado en el mercado. = You purchase fish at the market.

Spanish sentences don’t finish with a preposition

English audio system typically finish a sentence with a preposition, like “of,” “from,” or “to,” in informal speech, however Spanish audio system by no means do that, since prepositions are one of many stricter elements of speech. To make sure your sentence sounds right in Spanish, you’ll want to modify your phrase order. 

• ¿A dónde vas?/¿Adónde vas? = The place are you going to? 
  
• ¿De dónde eres? = The place are you from? 

Notice that ¿A dónde? and ¿Adónde? are thought of equally legitimate methods to put in writing this phrase, in response to the Actual Academia Española.

Prepositions are required extra typically in Spanish

Typically in English a preposition might be absent and the sentence nonetheless is smart, however Spanish grammar doesn’t enable for this. 

• Voy a casa. = I’m going residence. 
• Traemos libros de la biblioteca a casa. = We’re bringing books residence from the library.
  
• Sale de la escuela a las tres y media. = He leaves college at 3:30. 

Key takeaways for prepositions in Spanish

Prepositions are seemingly easy phrases or phrases that matter vastly to the sentence. 

• They clarify how a noun (or pronoun) and one other phrase are associated.
• They will inform origin, vacation spot, motion, location, time, and relationship. 
• They’re just like English prepositions, however there are fewer of them they usually’re used extra typically.
• The prepositions de and a contract with el to type del (from the) and al (to the). 

You’ve targeted lots of your consideration on these frequent Spanish prepositions, so to actually make them stick, it’s finest to come across them in significant sentences the place they’ll seize your consideration. Rosetta Stone’s Dynamic Immersion methodology makes it a lot simpler than attempting to memorize the entire checklist of prepositions, permitting you to understand all their potential meanings naturally.