SPANISH PREPOSITIONS
Prepositions in Spanish are invariable words, meaning that they do not change form irrespective of their gender or number.
They establish the relationship between two elements in a given phrase, helping clarify how things or ideas are connected.
THE BASICS
Prepositions are words that introduce a complement known as término (or the object of the preposition). Together they form what is called a grupo preposicional (or a prepositional phrase).
con una pequeña ayudaWith a little help
In the above example, con (with) is the preposition and una pequeña ayuda (with a little help) is the object of the preposition. Together, they form a prepositional phrase.
Prepositions are a closed grammatical category, meaning, they consist of a fixed number of elements. Below is the list of the generally accepted prepositions in Spanish:
spanish | english |
---|---|
a | to |
ante | before |
bajo | under |
cabe | fitting/apt |
con | with |
contra | against |
de | of/from |
desde | from |
durante | during |
en | in/on |
entre | between/among |
hacia | toward/to |
hasta | until/up to |
mediante | by means of |
para | for/to |
por | by/for |
según | according to |
sin | without |
sobre | on/about |
tras | after |
versus | versus |
vía | via |
In Spanish, prepositional phrases follow this structure:
PATTERN
Preposition + Object
NOTE || That the two elements of the structure above cannot be separated, unlike in English where at times the two can be separated.
For instance, in the English phrase ‘What are you talking about’, the pronoun ‘what’ is the object of the preposition ‘about’.
Notice how, in Spanish, the same phrase¿De qué estás hablando? maintains the required structure:
preposition ‘de’ (what) + object ‘qué’ (about).
If we were to follow the same structure as in English, we would come up with a grammatically incorrect phrase in Spanish: ¿Qué estás hablando de?
✅ Correct:¿De qué estás hablando?
⛔ Incorrect:¿Qué estás hablando de?
El coche de Lucía | Lucía’s car |
Voy hacia el restaurante. | I am going towards the restaurant. |
Juan está en la consulta del medico. | Juan is in the doctor’s office. |
Ella vive con su amiga. | She lives with her friend. |
La moto está entre dos coches. | The motorcycle is in between two cars. |
Prefiero conducir sin música. | I prefer to drive without music. |
In the examples above, prepositions like de (of/from) and con (with) describe basic relationships (such as possession or company), while others such as hacia (towards/to) and entre (between/among) indicate direction or position.
FUNCTION & USE
Relational function
Although prepositions can have various functions, in Spanish, the common denominator between all prepositions is that they describe a relationship between two elements in a given phrase. For example:
El abrigo de PabloPablo’s coat
In the example above, the preposition ‘de’ expresses a possessive relationship between the noun ‘abrigo’ (coat) and the object ‘Pablo’.
Lexical meaning
Some prepositions have lexical meanings as well, usually of location and time, like for example desde (from), bajo (under), and sobre (on, about).
For the sake of clarity, lexical meaning refers to the inherent sense of a word as defined in a dictionary, irrespective of its use in a sentence or its grammatical purpose.
Contrasting meaning
Prepositions can also express contrasting meanings, like for instance con/sin (with/without), desde/hasta (from/until, to), and bajo/sobre (under/on, above).
In a prepositional phrase (preposition + object) in Spanish, the object of a preposition (known as término) can belong to various grammatical categories, as indicated below.
And always remember that the object of the preposition comes after the preposition and not before it.
• a noun or pronoun phrase, which often indicates possession, location, or association
MUST KNOW || With very few exceptions, personal pronouns that follow a preposition do not take the subject forms yo (I) and tú (you, informal) and instead take on the following structure:
para mí (for me) and not para yo
sin ti (without you) and not sin tú
Examples for objects of prepositions (términos) categorized as a noun or pronoun phrase:
desde la casa | from the house |
hacia la escuela | towards the school |
sobre la mesa | on the table |
con ella | with her |
sin vosotros | without you all |
según Usted | according to you (formal) |
• an adjective phrase, which usually modifies or qualifies the noun they refer to, providing additional information (such as an opinion, a degree, or a characteristic)
Examples for objects of prepositions categorized as an adjective phrase:
pasar por tonto | to pass for a fool |
desde muy pequeño | since very young |
vivir en el caos | to live in chaos |
para lo bueno y lo malo | for the good and the bad |
con calma | with calm |
bajo la oscuridad | underneath the darkness |
• an adverbial phrase, which commonly expresses spatial relationships between objects
Examples for objects of prepositions categorized as an adverbial phrase:
hasta aquí mismo | right up to here |
desde detrás de la puerta | from behind the door |
por debajo del puente | under the bridge |
ir hacia delante | to move forward |
hacia arriba | upwards |
desde allí | from there |
• a prepositional phrase, that generally describes spatial and directional relations. In some cases, Spanish allows the sequence of up to two prepositions together
Examples for objects of prepositions categorized as prepositional phrases:
de entre los arbustos | from among the bushes |
por entre las mesas | through between the tables |
por debajo de la cama | under the bed |
desde detrás de la puerta | from behind the door |
hacia dentro de la casa | towards the inside of the house |
de sobre la encimera | from on top of the counter |
• a subordinate noun clause which generally expresses abstract concepts (ideas, fears, suspicions, hopes, promises, etc.)
la noticia de que habían llegado | The news that they had arrived |
la posibilidad de que haga sol | The possibility that it will be sunny |
la promesa de tiempos mejores | The promise of better times |
la duda de si él dice la verdad | The doubt on whether he is telling the truth |
la idea de que tengamos una casa propia | The idea that we would have our own house |
la sospecha de que no sea verdad | The suspicion that it is not true |
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FAQs
What are Spanish prepositions used for?
Prepositions in Spanish are used to show relationships between words in a sentence, such as location, direction, time, or cause.
What are some common Spanish prepositions?
Some of the most common prepositions include a (to), de (of, from), en (in, on), con (with), por (by, through), and para (for).
When to use por or para?
Por is used to indicate reasons, causes, or movement through a place, while para is used to indicate purpose, destination, or deadlines.
Learn more about the use of por and para in this lesson.
Do prepositions affect verbs in Spanish?
Yes, after a preposition, verbs are used in the infinitive form. For example, voy a comer (“I am going to eat”).
Can Spanish prepositions change meaning according to context?
Yes, many prepositions can have different meanings based on the context. For example, en can mean “in,” “on,” or “at” depending on the sentence.
Does LTL provide Spanish classes?
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