Preposition is a word or a group of words used before a noun/noun phrase/pronoun to form a phrase. They are mostly used to show location, place, or time, etc. Here in this article, we will show you a list of some most common and basic Spanish prepositions in Spanish and how to use them in a sentence.
List of some most common Spanish prepositions
- To, at - a
- Before, in the presence of - ante
- Under – bajo
- With - con
- Against - contra
- Of, from - de
- From, since - desde
- Behind - detrás (de)
- In, on at - en
- Between, among - entre
- Until, toward – hacia/hasta
- For, in order to - para
- For, by - por
- According to - según
- Without – sin
- About, on, upon, above, over, around - sobre
- After, behind – tras
How to use prepositions in Spanish
In most cases, prepositions function much the same way in Spanish as they do in English. So you may find their placements pretty logical. There are still, of course, some exceptions. So when you use a preposition in a sentence, remember to pay extra attention.
Here we will give you some in-depth guides on uses of some basic Spanish prepositions.
1. Uses of Spanish preposition "a"
Meaning: to, at, by, for
It can be used to indicate motion, to connect a verb to another one in the infinitive, to show the manner of doing something, to express time, or to introduce a direct/indirect object
Examples:
Fue a dormer - He went to sleep
Mandó un postal a su novia - He sent a postcard to his girlfriend
Lo hice a mano - I did it by hand
Veo a mi madre - I see my mother
Cenamos a las seis - We eat dinner at six o'clock
Llegó a la ciudad - He arrived in the city
2. Uses of preposition "de"
Meaning: of, from
“De” can be used to indicate possession, cause, origin, type, or composition, etc
Examples:
Los padres de Sara - Sarah’s parents
Él es de argentina. - He is from Argentina.
Sonia es la más inteligente de la familia - Sonia is the most intelligent person in the family
¿Puedes comprar papel de baño? - Can you buy toilet paper?
Estoy cansada de correr - I am tired from running
3. Preposition: en
In English, “en” means “in”, “on”, “at”, “by”, “about”
“En” can be used to indicate time, location, manner, method of travel, or subject, etc.
Examples:
Está en mi mochila - It is in my backpack.
Fui a Perú en el verano - I went to Peru in the summer
Cruzo el océano en barco - I cross the ocean by boat
Eres bueno en las lenguas - You are good at languages
4. Preposition: hacia
Meaning: towards, to
The preposition “hacia” can be used to express the direction of movement or the roughness of a time estimate.
Examples:
Vi a mi hermana caminando rápidamente hacia mí.
I saw my sister walking rapidly towards me.
¿Qué dices si te encuentro hacia las ocho?
What do you say if I meet you around eight o’clock?
5. Spanish preposition: Con
Meaning: with
Examples:
Me gusta el café con lêch, con una cucharilla de azúcar
I like coffee with milk, with one teaspoon of sugar
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