Understanding Spanish Basic Prepositions
Spanish prepositions (preposiciones) are small words that show relationships between other words in a sentence. They indicate location, direction, time, manner, and other relationships.
Most common Spanish prepositions:
- a - to, at (direction, indirect object)
- de - of, from (possession, origin)
- en - in, on, at (location, time)
- con - with (accompaniment, means)
- por - for, by, through (reason, agent, duration)
- para - for, to (purpose, destination, deadline)
Key characteristics:
- Fixed usage: Each preposition has specific uses
- No direct translation: Spanish and English prepositions don't always match
- Contractions: Some combine with articles (del, al)
- Idiomatic expressions: Many fixed phrases use specific prepositions
- Verb dependencies: Some verbs require specific prepositions
Why prepositions matter:
- Meaning clarity: Change the meaning of sentences
- Natural speech: Essential for fluent Spanish
- Grammatical correctness: Required for proper Spanish
- Communication precision: Express exact relationships
Mastering basic prepositions is fundamental for accurate Spanish communication and natural expression.
Examples
Voy a Madrid. (I go to Madrid.) - Direction
Vengo de Barcelona. (I come from Barcelona.) - Origin
Estoy en el parque. (I am in the park.) - Location
Hablo con María. (I talk with María.) - Accompaniment
Trabajo por la mañana. (I work in the morning.) - Time
Estudio para el examen. (I study for the exam.) - Purpose
A - Direction and Indirect Object
A indicates direction, indirect objects, and specific time:
Examples
Voy a la escuela. (I go to school.) - Direction
Llego a las tres. (I arrive at three.) - Time
Le doy el libro a María. (I give the book to María.) - Indirect object
Vamos a comer. (We are going to eat.) - Near future
Personal A
A before direct objects that are people:
Veo a mi hermano. (I see my brother.)
Conozco a María. (I know María.)
Contraction AL
A + EL = AL (mandatory contraction):
Voy al cine. (I go to the cinema.)
Llego al trabajo. (I arrive at work.)
DE - Origin and Possession
DE indicates origin, possession, material, and description:
Examples
Soy de España. (I am from Spain.) - Origin
El libro de María. (María's book.) - Possession
Una mesa de madera. (A wooden table.) - Material
El profesor de español. (The Spanish teacher.) - Description
Contraction DEL
DE + EL = DEL (mandatory contraction):
Vengo del trabajo. (I come from work.)
El coche del profesor. (The teacher's car.)
Time Expressions
DE for time periods:
de día (during the day), de noche (at night)
de mañana (in the morning), de tarde (in the afternoon)
EN - Location and Time
EN indicates location, time, and means of transport:
Examples
Estoy en casa. (I am at home.) - Location
En verano hace calor. (In summer it's hot.) - Time
Viajo en tren. (I travel by train.) - Transport
Hablo en español. (I speak in Spanish.) - Language
Location vs Direction
EN for location, A for direction:
Estoy en el parque. (I am in the park.) - Location
Voy al parque. (I go to the park.) - Direction
Time Expressions
EN with months, years, seasons:
en enero (in January), en 2023 (in 2023)
en primavera (in spring), en Navidad (at Christmas)
CON - Accompaniment and Means
CON indicates accompaniment, means, and manner:
Examples
Voy con mi hermana. (I go with my sister.) - Accompaniment
Escribo con un bolígrafo. (I write with a pen.) - Instrument
Hablo con cuidado. (I speak carefully.) - Manner
Café con leche. (Coffee with milk.) - Mixture
CON + Pronouns
Special forms with pronouns:
conmigo (with me), contigo (with you)
consigo (with himself/herself/yourself)
Fixed Expressions
Common phrases with CON:
con frecuencia (frequently), con cuidado (carefully)
con razón (rightly), con permiso (excuse me)
POR - Reason, Agent, Duration
POR indicates reason, agent, duration, exchange, and movement through:
Examples
Estudio por necesidad. (I study out of necessity.) - Reason
El libro fue escrito por García. (The book was written by García.) - Agent
Trabajo por ocho horas. (I work for eight hours.) - Duration
Cambio euros por dólares. (I exchange euros for dollars.) - Exchange
Camino por el parque. (I walk through the park.) - Movement
Hablo por teléfono. (I talk on the phone.) - Means
Time Expressions with POR
POR with parts of the day:
por la mañana (in the morning)
por la tarde (in the afternoon), por la noche (at night)
POR vs PARA
POR for reason/cause, PARA for purpose:
Estudio por placer. (I study for pleasure.) - Reason
Estudio para el examen. (I study for the exam.) - Purpose
PARA - Purpose, Destination, Deadline
PARA indicates purpose, destination, deadline, and recipient:
Examples
Estudio para aprender. (I study to learn.) - Purpose
Salgo para Madrid. (I leave for Madrid.) - Destination
Es para mañana. (It's for tomorrow.) - Deadline
El regalo es para ti. (The gift is for you.) - Recipient
PARA + Infinitive
PARA to express purpose:
Vengo para ayudar. (I come to help.)
Estudio para ser médico. (I study to be a doctor.)
PARA with Opinions
PARA expressing "in someone's opinion":
Para mí, es difícil. (For me, it's difficult.)
Para él, es fácil. (For him, it's easy.)
Other Common Prepositions
Additional important prepositions:
Other Basic Prepositions
| Pronoun | Conjugation | English |
|---|---|---|
| sin | without | sin dinero (without money) |
| sobre | on, about | sobre la mesa (on the table) |
| bajo | under | bajo la mesa (under the table) |
| entre | between, among | entre amigos (among friends) |
| hacia | towards | hacia el norte (towards the north) |
| hasta | until, up to | hasta mañana (until tomorrow) |
Examples
Café sin azúcar. (Coffee without sugar.)
Un libro sobre historia. (A book about history.)
Prepositions with Verbs
Many verbs require specific prepositions:
Verbs + Prepositions
| Pronoun | Conjugation | English |
|---|---|---|
| pensar en | to think about | Pienso en ti. (I think about you.) |
| soñar con | to dream about | Sueño con viajar. (I dream about traveling.) |
| depender de | to depend on | Depende de ti. (It depends on you.) |
| enamorarse de | to fall in love with | Se enamoró de ella. (He fell in love with her.) |
| casarse con | to marry | Se casó con María. (He married María.) |
Examples
Me acuerdo de mi infancia. (I remember my childhood.)
Se preocupa por sus hijos. (She worries about her children.)
Fixed Expressions with Prepositions
Common idiomatic expressions with prepositions:
Examples
a pie (on foot), a mano (by hand)
de memoria (by heart), de repente (suddenly)
en serio (seriously), en broma (jokingly)
por favor (please), por supuesto (of course)
para siempre (forever), sin duda (without doubt)
con razón (rightly), con frecuencia (frequently)
Prepositions of Place
Spatial relationships with prepositions:
Location Prepositions
| Pronoun | Conjugation | English |
|---|---|---|
| en | in, on, at | en la mesa (on the table) |
| sobre | on, above | sobre el libro (on the book) |
| bajo | under | bajo la cama (under the bed) |
| delante de | in front of | delante de la casa (in front of the house) |
| detrás de | behind | detrás del coche (behind the car) |
| al lado de | next to | al lado del parque (next to the park) |
Examples
El gato está debajo de la mesa. (The cat is under the table.)
La tienda está enfrente del banco. (The store is across from the bank.)
Common Mistakes with Prepositions
Here are frequent errors students make:
1. Direct translation: Using English preposition logic
2. Missing contractions: Not using del/al when required
3. POR vs PARA confusion: Wrong preposition for context
4. Verb + preposition errors: Wrong preposition with specific verbs
Examples
❌ Pienso sobre ti → ✅ Pienso en ti
Wrong: PENSAR uses EN, not SOBRE
❌ Voy a el cine → ✅ Voy al cine
Wrong: must contract A + EL = AL
❌ Estudio por el examen → ✅ Estudio para el examen
Wrong: use PARA for purpose, not POR
❌ Dependo en ti → ✅ Dependo de ti
Wrong: DEPENDER uses DE, not EN