A nifty list of 46 Spanish prepositions: Place, relation, time

If you’re having trouble with those small yet hugely-consequential words like de, por, para, and con, then you need to check out this ultimate guide to Spanish prepositions.

Indeed, one of the hardest parts of learning Spanish (or any language, for that matter!) is to get the prepositions just right. These words are usually very short and flexible, making them less than ideal for foreign language speakers.

While native speakers generally have a good grasp of them, this isn’t because of the masterful command of a complicated set of rules and exceptions. Instead, native speakers are able to use prepositions correctly based on whether something “sounds right.” That’s because prepositions can be used for a variety of reasons, in a variety of situations, and therefore lack a standard set of rules.

A study from St. Cloud State University sought to understand exactly why prepositions are so difficult to learn for foreign language speakers. The authors identified three main reasons:

• Prepositions can have multiple meanings. As you’ll see later on, a single Spanish preposition can mean two, three, or even four different things, depending on context.
• Prepositions are very short. Most prepositions are one-to-two-syllable words, making them difficult to recognize in oral speech.
• Prepositions are used differently in different languages. Unlike many vocabulary words, prepositions in a foreign language are very difficult to translate vis-a-vis your native language.
• There are many prepositions. We’ve got 46 prepositions in this guide alone! Learning them will be a challenge, but we promise we’ll get you there.

You know how the saying goes, and this is one of those situations where the gain from the pain of learning how to use each of the 46 prepositions for the Spanish language is definitely worth it. Not only will this make you stand out from other Spanish learners, but also from native speakers! As you’ll see further below, we’ve included a section on common preposition mistakes, which even native Spanish speakers make all the time.

So, if you’re feeling ready to face this challenge head-on, let’s get right into it!

What are prepositions in grammar?

Prepositions are words that help us relate nouns and pronouns to other words in a sentence. As implied by the prefix pre in prepositions, they always go before the noun or pronoun. In Spanish, prepositions can help us describe where, when, and how something happens.

The complete Spanish prepositions list

If you’ve been following our Spanish blog for a while, you already know that we love to be as thorough as possible. That’s why we’ve gathered the ultimate list of Spanish prepositions and prepositional phrases for you!

Simple prepositions

The natural place to start is with simple prepositions. Although they might sound like the easier kind, the “simple” in the name has no impact on how these prepositions are used. It simply refers to the fact that they are made up of one word. Here are 25 simple prepositions:

Complex prepositions

Again, don’t be alarmed by the “complex” in their name — it simply means that these prepositions are made up of two or more words. Here are 21 complex prepositions in Spanish.

Preposition types

Now, let’s break the prepositions into different uses. This way, we’ll go over a few of the most common ones and get you using them as soon as possible.

Spanish prepositions of place or location

One of the most common uses of prepositions in Spanish (and English!) is to relate a noun or noun phrase to its geographic environment. One good thing about Spanish location prepositions is that en serves the function of many English prepositions all at once: in, at, on, into, and by. So, you won’t have to think of a handful of prepositions when trying to figure out if you’re in school, on a boat, or at the airport!

Prepositions of relation

Prepositions of relation establish a connection (or relation!) between two nouns. They allow you to connect the dots in your stories by helping you describe who did what and with whom, against whom, for whom, from whom, etcetera.

Prepositions of time

As you can probably imagine, prepositions of time help you relate a noun to a certain time. These are helpful not only for telling the time in Spanish but also for making plans with your friends. After all, studying Spanish means you’ll definitely want to find the time to visit some coffee shops with your classmates and, why not, have a cold beer after a long day of school!

Spanish prepositional pronouns

Prepositional pronouns are technically pronouns and therefore not prepositions. However, they’re used in conjunction with other prepositions to connect the object to the prepositional phrase. That happens when you are connecting a noun to a person, such as when you say “The car is in front of me.” In this sentence, “car” is the subject and “me” is the object. So, you’ll typically find a preposition right before a prepositional pronoun.

Here’s the complete list of Spanish prepositional pronouns.

Spanish preposition contractions

Unlike English, Spanish has very few contractions, and about half of them involve prepositions! When certain prepositions are placed next to certain articles and pronouns, they must be contracted, the way “want to” can be contracted into “wanna” when speaking casually. However, in Spanish, contractions are neither casual nor optional — failing to contract any of the following will result in a grammatical error!

Phrases and expressions with prepositions

Prepositions are an unavoidable aspect of the Spanish language, and many important phrases rely on them to work. However, as a foreign language speaker, it might be difficult to understand exactly what these phrases mean as they don’t translate well. Here are some common Spanish phrases and expressions with prepositions with their literal English translations along with what they actually mean.

Common mistakes

As advanced Spanish speakers will attest to, even native Speakers make mistakes all the time. This is especially true when it comes to prepositions, as there are many common mistakes that are so ubiquitous that they’ll have you doubting what you’ve learned in the classroom. To avoid these mistakes, pay attention to the following examples of common Spanish preposition mistakes:

Spanish prepositions song

Now that you have 46 prepositions to learn, you need an effective way to memorize them all. Even if you don’t consider yourself to be a particularly musical person, studies have shown time and time again that learning a language through music is extremely effective. If you’re looking for a catchy tune to knock out a few prepositions in Spanish, check out the video below!

Señor Zauche and the Montford Spanish Club

FAQs

Where are prepositions used?

As implied by their name, prepositions are always used before the noun or pronoun. They always precede the noun phrase because they are used to connect them to the rest of the sentence. Think of prepositions as bridges, helping build connections between the nouns and everything else in your sentence.

How do you know when to use a or de in Spanish?

De and a are two of the most common prepositions in Spanish, but they serve totally different functions. The preposition de is most commonly used to express:

• Possession, such as “los zapatos de Pedro” (Pedro’s shoes)
• Causation, such as “ya está cansada de llorar” (she’s tired of crying)
• Characteristics, such as “los aviones de papel” (the paper planes)

On the other hand, the preposition a is most commonly used to express:

• Direction, such as “Juan va a Medellín” (Juan is going to Medellín)
• The future with an infinitive, such as “voy a cantar” (I am going to sing)

Give yourself a pat on the back for tackling prepositions head-on!

While learning how to use prepositions in Spanish can be tough, you’ve made the right choice to face this challenge head-on. Remember to be patient with yourself as you work your way to mastery! Even natives — who have been speaking Spanish their entire lives — make mistakes when using prepositions, so don’t feel bad if you mess up as you go.

If you enjoyed this article, make sure to check out some of our other grammar guides, like how to conjugate the verb tener and the ultimate guide to Spanish accents!