Spanish Prepositions: An Easy Guide for Beginners

Prepositions are small words that help connect different parts of a sentence, establishing relationships related to time, place, cause, and more. Mastering Spanish prepositions allows learners to express ideas clearly and navigate everyday conversations with ease. For instance, the prepositions por and para both translate to “for” in English, but they serve different purposes.

• Estudio español por mi trabajo. (I study Spanish because of my job.)

• Este regalo es para ti. (This gift is for you.)

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Understanding the correct use of prepositions is crucial for fluency, as they frequently appear in conversations, writing, and formal contexts. In this guide, we will focus on the most commonly used Spanish prepositions of place, time, and possession—those that will help learners communicate effectively in various situations.

Spanish Prepositions of Place

Spanish prepositions of place describe the position of people, objects, and locations in relation to each other. Understanding these prepositions will help learners communicate spatial relationships more accurately and naturally.

En (in, on, at)

The preposition en is versatile and used to indicate that something is inside, on top of, or at a particular place. Its meaning depends on the context.

Examples:
Estoy en la biblioteca. – I am in the library.
El cuadro está en la pared. – The painting is on the wall.
Nos vemos en la plaza. – We will meet at the square.

Sobre (on, over, about)

Sobre is used to express physical placement on top of something, a position over an object, or the topic of a conversation.

Examples:
El cuaderno está sobre la mesa. – The notebook is on the table.
El avión vuela sobre la ciudad. – The plane flies over the city.
Hablamos sobre la historia de España. – We are talking about the history of Spain.

Debajo de (under, below)

Debajo de indicates that something is located underneath or lower than another object, often emphasizing vertical positioning.

Examples:
El gato duerme debajo de la cama. – The cat sleeps under the bed.
Las llaves están debajo de los papeles. – The keys are below the papers.
El puente pasa debajo de la carretera. – The bridge goes under the highway.

Detrás de (behind)

Detrás de is used when something or someone is positioned at the back of another object or place.

Examples:
El coche está detrás de la casa. – The car is behind the house.
La tienda está detrás de el banco. – The shop is behind the bank.
Me escondí detrás de la puerta. – I hid behind the door.

Delante de (in front of, before, ahead of)

Delante de is used to indicate that something is positioned in front of another object, as well as metaphorically referring to time and sequence.

Examples:
Estoy delante de la tienda. – I am in front of the store.
Hablaré delante de el grupo. – I will speak before the group.
Hay muchos autos delante de nosotros. – There are many cars ahead of us.

Entre (between, among, amid)

Entre is used when something is positioned in the middle of two or more objects or people, or figuratively among abstract ideas.

Examples:
El parque está entre la escuela y el supermercado. – The park is between the school and the supermarket.
Había una discusión entre amigos. – There was an argument among friends.
El secreto está entre nosotros. – The secret is amid us.

Cerca de (near, close to, around)

Cerca de expresses proximity to a place, a general approximation of distance, or metaphorically as an estimate.

Examples:
Mi casa está cerca de la playa. – My house is near the beach.
El restaurante está cerca de el centro. – The restaurant is close to downtown.
Había cerca de 50 personas en la fiesta. – There were around 50 people at the party.

Lejos de (far from, away from)

Lejos de indicates that something is at a considerable distance from another location, physically or metaphorically.

Examples:
El aeropuerto está lejos de la ciudad. – The airport is far from the city.
Vive lejos de su familia. – He lives away from his family.
Estamos lejos de la solución. – We are far from the solution.

Al lado de (next to, beside, alongside)

Al lado de describes objects or people that are immediately adjacent to something else.

Examples:
La farmacia está al lado de el banco. – The pharmacy is next to the bank.
Mi silla está al lado de la tuya. – My chair is beside yours.
Hay una carretera al lado de el río. – There is a road alongside the river.

Spanish Prepositions of Time

Spanish prepositions of time help indicate when an action takes place, whether it refers to a specific point, duration, or period. Learning how to use these prepositions correctly is essential for expressing events accurately in conversation and writing.

En (in)

The preposition en is used to specify a particular point in time, including months, years, and general periods. It does not apply to specific days or times of the day.

Examples:
Nací en diciembre. – I was born in December.
Fuimos a la playa en verano. – We went to the beach in summer.
La conferencia es en 2025. – The conference is in 2025.

A (at)

A is commonly used to refer to specific hours or moments in time, as well as to indicate the age at which something happened.

Examples:
La reunión es a las 3 de la tarde. – The meeting is at 3 in the afternoon.
Nos vemos a la medianoche. – We will see each other at midnight.
Aprendí a leer a los cinco años. – I learned to read at five years old.

De… a (from… to)

This phrase expresses the beginning and end of a time period.

Examples:
Trabajo de lunes a viernes. – I work from Monday to Friday.
El concierto será de 7 a 10 de la noche. – The concert will be from 7 to 10 at night.
Estudio español de enero a junio. – I study Spanish from January to June.

Desde (since, from)

Desde is used to indicate the starting point of an action or period of time that continues into the present.

Examples:
Vivo aquí desde 2010. – I have lived here since 2010.
Estamos esperando desde la mañana. – We have been waiting since the morning.
No lo he visto desde la semana pasada. – I haven’t seen him since last week.

Hasta (until)

Hasta denotes an endpoint or limit in time, often implying when something will end.

Examples:
Estaré aquí hasta las cinco. – I will be here until five.
El programa estará disponible hasta el viernes. – The program will be available until Friday.
Podemos quedarnos hasta la medianoche. – We can stay until midnight.

Por (for, during)

Por is used to describe approximate time periods, durations, and recurring events.

Examples:
Estudié en España por dos años. – I studied in Spain for two years.
Viajaremos por la tarde. – We will travel during the afternoon.

Durante (during, for)

Durante expresses the duration of an event or period, emphasizing the length of time something lasts.

Examples:
Llovió mucho durante el invierno. – It rained a lot during the winter.
Nos quedamos en la playa durante tres días. – We stayed at the beach for three days.

Antes de (before)

Antes de indicates that an action occurs prior to a specific moment in time.

Examples:
Desayuno antes de ir al trabajo. – I have breakfast before going to work.
Llegamos antes de la medianoche. – We arrived before midnight.

Después de (after)

Después de is used to indicate that an event happens following another action or moment.

Examples:
Voy al gimnasio después de la escuela. – I go to the gym after school.
Cenaremos después de las ocho. – We will have dinner after eight.

Spanish Prepositions of Possession

In Spanish, prepositions are used to indicate possession, providing a way to express ownership and belonging. Unlike English, which often uses the apostrophe ‘s to show possession (e.g., John’s book), Spanish relies on the preposition de, followed by the owner.

For example:

• El libro de Juan. – John’s book.
• La casa de mi madre. – My mother’s house.

This structure is essential in Spanish, as the apostrophe ‘s does not exist. Instead, possession is expressed by placing the object first, followed by de and the possessor.

De (of, from, belonging to)

The preposition de is the most common way to indicate possession, translating to “of” or “belonging to” in English. It is used to specify ownership, origin, or a relationship between two elements.

Examples:
El coche de mi hermano. – The car of my brother.
La cultura de España es fascinante. – The culture of Spain is fascinating.

Here are some common variations of “de” based on the gender and number of the noun that follows the preposition.

Del (of the, from the – masculine singular)

When de is followed by the definite article el, they contract to form del, which means “of the” or “from the” when referring to a singular masculine noun.

Examples:
El color del coche es azul. – The color of the car is blue.
Vengo del gimnasio. – I am coming from the gym.
Las luces del estadio son brillantes. – The lights of the stadium are bright.

De la (of the, from the – feminine singular)

Unlike del, when de precedes a singular feminine noun with the definite article la, no contraction occurs. The words remain separate.

Examples:
La entrada de la casa es grande. – The entrance of the house is big.
Estoy cerca de la universidad. – I am near the university.
La idea de la maestra fue genial. – The idea of the teacher was great.

De los (of the, from the – masculine plural)

De los is used when referring to plural masculine nouns, maintaining the separate forms without contraction.

Examples:
Las opiniones de los estudiantes son importantes. – The opinions of the students are important.
El jardín de los vecinos es hermoso. – The garden of the neighbors is beautiful.
Los horarios de los trenes han cambiado. – The schedules of the trains have changed.

De las (of the, from the – feminine plural)

Similarly, de las is used with plural feminine nouns without contraction.

Examples:
Las puertas de las habitaciones están cerradas. – The doors of the rooms are closed.
Los colores de las flores son vivos. – The colors of the flowers are vibrant.
El consejo de las profesoras es útil. – The advice of the teachers is useful.

Mastering these prepositional phrases will allow learners to describe ownership and relationships accurately in Spanish, avoiding common mistakes related to translating English possessive structures directly.

Spanish Prepositions: FAQs

1. What are the most common 12 prepositions in Spanish?

The most common 12 prepositions in Spanish are de (of, from), a (to, at), en (in, on, at), por (for, because of, by), para (for, to), con (with), sin (without), sobre (on, about), hasta (until, up to), entre (between, among), desde (from, since), and hacia (toward). These prepositions are frequently used to express location, time, and relationships in Spanish sentences.

2. When should I use the preposition “a” in Spanish?

The preposition a in Spanish is used to indicate direction toward a place or person, introduce an indirect object, express time, and in commands. It is also required before a direct object that is a person or pet, known as the “personal a.” Examples include Voy a la tienda (I am going to the store), Dile a tu madre (Tell your mother), and Veo a mi perro (I see my dog).

3. Does Spanish use “en” for both “in” and “on”?

Yes, Spanish uses the preposition en for both “in” and “on” in English. Context determines its meaning. For example, Estoy en la casa means “I am in the house,” while El libro está en la mesa means “The book is on the table.”

4. What is the preposition “between” in Spanish?

The preposition for “between” in Spanish is entre. It is used to indicate that something or someone is in the middle of two or more elements. For example, El parque está entre la escuela y el supermercado, meaning “The park is between the school and the supermarket.”

Mastering Spanish prepositions of place, time, and possession is a key step in achieving fluency and expressing yourself accurately in conversations. Whether you’re describing locations, time, or possession, understanding how these small but powerful words work will help you communicate more effectively in Spanish-speaking environments.

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