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:
f one word. Here are 25 simple prepositions:
English | Spanish | Pronunciation | IPA |
To, at | A | ah | a |
Before, compared to | Ante | ahn-teh | ˈante |
Under, below | Bajo | bah-hoh | ˈbaxo |
Next to | Cabe | cah-beh | ˈkaβe |
With | Con | cohn | kon |
Against | Contra | con-trah | ˈkontɾa |
Of, about | De | deh | de |
From, since | Desde | dess-deh | ˈdezðe |
During, for | Durante | doo-rahn-teh | duˈɾante |
In, on, into, by, at | En | ehn | en |
Between, among | Entre | ehn-treh | ˈentɾe |
Except for | Excepto | ex-ep-toe | ekˈsepto |
Towards, around, about | Hacia | ah-see-ah | ˈaθja |
Until, as far as, up to | Hasta | ass-tah | ˈasta |
Through, by means of | Mediante | meh-dee-ahn-teh | meˈðjante |
For, to, towards | Para | pah-rah | ˈpaɾa |
For, to, because of, through, per | Por | pore | poɾ |
Except for | Salvo | sal-voh | ˈsalβo |
According to, depending on | Según | seh-goon | seˈɣun |
Without | Sin | seen | sin |
Under | So | so | ˈso |
Over, on top of, above, upon | Sobre | soh-breh | ˈsoβɾe |
Behind, after | Tras | trass | ˈtɾas |
Versus, against | Versus | ver-soos | ˈbeɾsus |
By, via | Vía | vee-ah | ˈbia |
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.
English | Spanish | Pronunciation | IPA |
In spite of, despite | A pesar de | ah peh-sar deh | a peˈsaɾ ðe |
In addition to, as well as | Además de | ah-deh-mas deh | aðeˈmaz ðe |
Beside | Al lado de | all la-doe deh | al ˈlaðo ðe |
Around, about | Alrededor de | all-reh-deh-door deh | alreðeˈðoɾ ðe |
Before | Antes de | ahn-tess deh | ˈantez ðe |
Despite | A pesar de | ah peh-sar deh | a peˈsaɾ ðe |
Near, close to | Cerca de | ser-cah deh | ˈθeɾka ðe |
With respect to | Con respecto a | con ress-pec-toe ah | kon resˈpekto a |
In accordance with | De acuerdo con | deh ah-coo-air-doe con | de aˈkweɾðo kon |
Under, underneath | Debajo de | deh-bah-ho deh | deˈβaxo ðe |
In front of | Delante de | deh-lan-teh deh | deˈlante ðe |
Inside, in, into, within | Dentro de | den-troh deh | ˈdentɾo ðe |
After | Después de | des-poo-ess deh | desˈpwez ðe |
Behind | Detrás de | deh-trass deh | deˈtɾaz ðe |
On top of, above | Encima de | ehn-see-mah deh | enˈθima ðe |
In terms of, in this regard | En cuanto a | ehn coo-ahn-toe ah | en ˈkwanto a |
In front of, opposite | Enfrente de | ehn-fren-teh deh | emˈfɾente ðe |
Opposite, towards | Frente a | fren-teh ah | ˈfɾente a |
Except for, apart from | Fuera de | foo-air-ah deh | ˈfweɾa ðe |
Next to, right by | Junto a | hoon-toe ah | ˈxunto a |
Far from | Lejos de | leh-hoss deh | ˈlexoz ðe |
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!
Preposition | Example sentence | Translation | Pronunciation | IPA |
Bajo | Quisiera estar en la playa, bajo los rayos del sol. | I wish I could be a the beach, under the sunshine. | key-see-air-ah ess-tar ehn la pla-yah, bah-ho los rah-yoss dell sol | kiˈsjeɾa esˈtaɾ en la ˈplaʝa | ˈbaxo loz ˈraʝoz ðel ˈsol ‖ |
De | Vengo de la escuela. | I’m coming from school. | ven-goe deh la ess-coo-eh-lah | ˈbenɡo ðe la esˈkwela ‖ |
Delante de | María está sentada delante de mí. | Maria is sitting in front of me. | mah-ree-ah ess-tah sen-tah-dah deh-lahn-teh deh me | maˈɾia esˈta senˈtaða ðeˈlante ðe ˈmi ‖ |
Desde | Caminé desde mi casa. | I walked from my house. | cah-me-neh dess-deh me ca-sah | kamiˈne ˈðezðe mi ˈkasa ‖ |
Detrás de | Tu mochila está detrás del sofá. | Your backpack is behind the couch. | too mo-chee-lah ess-tah deh-trass dell soh-fah | tu moˈʧila esˈta ðeˈtɾaz ðel soˈfa ‖ |
En | Estoy en mi cuarto. | I’m in my room. | ess-toy ehn me coo-are-toe | esˈtoj em mi ˈkwaɾto ‖ |
Encima de | Las llaves están encima del librero. | The keys are on top of the bookshelf. | las yah-vess ess-tahn ehn-see-mah dell lee-breh-roe | laz ˈʎaβes esˈtan enˈθima ðel liˈβɾeɾo ‖ |
Enfrente de | La televisión está enfrente de la mesa. | The TV is in front of the table. | la teh-leh-vee-see-ohn ess-tah ehn-fren-teh deh la meh-sah | la teleβiˈsjon esˈta emˈfɾente ðe la ˈmesa ‖ |
Entre | La casa de Pedro está entre el parque y la iglesia. | Pedro’s house is between the park and the church. | la ca-sah deh peh-droh ess-tah ehn-treh elle par-keh e la e-gleh-see-ah | la ˈkasa ðe ˈpeðɾo esˈta ˈentɾe el ˈpaɾke j la jˈɣlesja ‖ |
Hacia | Ese gatito viene caminando hacia nosotros. | That kitty is walking towards us. | eh-seh gah-tee-toe vee-eh-neh ca-me-nahn-doe ah-see-ah no-soe-tross | ˈese ɣaˈtito ˈβjene kamiˈnando ˈaθja noˈsotɾos ‖ |
Hasta | Disculpe, ¿este autobús va hasta Valencia? | Excuse me, is this bus going all the way to Valencia? | dees-cool-peh, ess-teh ah-ooh-toe-boos vah ah-see-ah vah-lehn-see-ah | disˈkulpe | ˈeste awtoˈβuz ˈβa ˈasta βaˈlenθja ‖ |
Sobre | El vaso de agua está sobre la mesa. | The glass of water is on the table. | elle vah-so deh ah-goo-ah ess-tah so-breh la meh-sah | el ˈβaso ðe ˈaɣwa esˈta ˈsoβɾe la ˈmesa ‖ |
Tras | La caja está tras la puerta. | The box is behind the door. | la cah-hah ess-tah tras la poo-air-tah | la ˈkaxa esˈta ˈtɾaz la ˈpweɾta ‖ |
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.
Preposition | Example sentence | Translation | Pronunciation | IPA |
Con | Voy a ir al cine con mi mamá. | I’m going to the movie theatre with my mom. | voy ah eer all see-neh con me ma-mah | ˈboj a ˈiɾ al ˈθine kom mi maˈma ‖ |
Contra | El mundo no está contra ti. | The world isn’t against you. | elle moon-doe no ess-tah con-trah tee | el ˈmundo ˈno esˈta ˈkontɾa ˈti ‖ |
De | El carro de mi hermana es rojo. | My sister’s car is red. | elle cah-roe deh me air-mah-nah ess ro-hoh | el ˈkaro ðe mj eɾˈmana ˈez ˈroxo ‖ |
Entre | Si lo hacemos entre los dos, sí lo podemos lograr. | If we do it between the two of us, we’ll surely be able to make it. | see lo ah-seh-moss ehn-treh los dos, see lo po-deh-moss lo-grar | si lo aˈθemos ˈentɾe loz ˈðos | ˈsi lo poˈðemoz loˈɣɾaɾ ‖ |
Para | ¿Estas flores son para mí? | Are these flowers for me? | ess-tass flo-ress son pah-rah me | ˈestas ˈfloɾes ˈsom ˈpaɾa ˈmi ‖ |
Por | Todo lo hago por ti. | Everything I do is for you. | toe-doe lo ah-go pore tee | ˈtoðo lo ˈaɣo poɾ ˈti ‖ |
Según | Estos son los ingredientes según mi mamá. | According to my mom, these are the ingredients. | ess-toss son los een-greh-dee-ehn-tess seh-goon me ma-mah | ˈestos ˈson los inɡɾeˈðjentes seˈɣum mi maˈma ‖ |
Sin | Esta casa no será lo mismo sin ti. | This house won’t be the same without you. | ess-tah cah-sah no seh-rah lo mees-mo seen tee | ˈesta ˈkasa ˈno seˈɾa lo ˈmizmo sin ˈti ‖ |
Sobre | Debemos tener una plática seria, pero no te preocupes, no es sobre ti. | We need to have a serious talk, but don’t worry, it’s not about you. | deh-beh-moss teh-nehr oo-nah pla-tee-cah seh-ree-ah, peh-ro no teh preh-oh-coo-pess, no es so-breh tee | deˈβemos teˈneɾ ˈuna ˈplatika ˈseɾja | ˈpeɾo ˈno te pɾeoˈkupes | ˈno ˈes ˈsoβɾe ˈti ‖ |
Versus | El partido de mañana es del Real Madrid versus el Barcelona. | Tomorrow’s match is Real Madrid versus Barcelona. | elle par-tee-doe deh mah-nyah-nah ess dell reh-all ma-dreed ver-soos elle bar-seh-lo-nah | el paɾˈtiðo ðe maˈɲana ˈez ðel reˈal maˈðɾið ˈβeɾsus el βaɾθeˈlona ‖ |
Vía | Él viaja de Londres a Guadalajara, vía Houston. | He travels from London to Guadalajara, via Houston. | elle vee-ah-hah deh lon-dress ah goo-ah-dah-lah-hah-rah, vee-ah Houston | ˈel ˈβjaxa ðe ˈlondɾes a ɣwaðalaˈxaɾa | ˈbia ˈowston ‖ |
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!
Preposition | Example sentence | Translation | Pronunciation | IPA |
A | Nos vemos a las doce y media. | I’ll see you at twelve thirty. | noss veh-moss ah las doh-seh e meh-dee-ah | noz ˈβemos a laz ˈðoθe j ˈmeðja ‖ |
Desde | Te he estado esperando desde la mañana. | I’ve been waiting for you since this morning. | teh eh ess-tah-doe ess-peh-ran-doe dess-deh la mah-nyah-nah | te ˈe esˈtaðo espeˈɾando ˈðezðe la maˈɲana ‖ |
Durante | Te esperé durante media hora y no llegaste. | I waited for you for half an hour and you didn’t show. | teh ess-peh-reh doo-rahn-teh meh-dee-ah oh-rah e no yeh-gass-teh | te espeˈɾe ðuˈɾante ˈmeðja ˈoɾa j ˈno ʎeˈɣaste ‖ |
Entre | Estaré disponible entre las dos y seis de la tarde. | I will be available between two and six in the afternoon. | ess-tah-reh dees-po-nee-bleh ehn-treh las dos e says deh lah tar-deh | estaˈɾe ðispoˈniβle ˈentɾe laz ˈðos i ˈsejz ðe la ˈtaɾðe ‖ |
Hacia | El tren pasa por aquí hacia las tres de la tarde. | The train passes by here at around three in the afternoon. | elle trehn pah-sah pore ah-key ah-see-ah las trehs deh la tar-deh | el ˈtɾem ˈpasa poɾ aˈki ˈaθja las ˈtɾez ðe la ˈtaɾðe ‖ |
Hasta | Aquí vamos a estar hasta junio. | We’ll be here until june. | ah-key vah-mos ah ess-tar ass-tah ho-nee-oh | aˈki ˈβamos a esˈtaɾ ˈasta ˈxunjo ‖ |
Tras | Tras la lluvia, saldrá el sol. | After the rain, the sun will come out. | tras lah you-vee-ah sal-drah elle sol | ˈtɾaz la ˈʎuβja | salˈdɾa el ˈsol ‖ |
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.
Preposition | Example sentence | Translation | Pronunciation | IPA |
Mí | El perro vino hacia mí. | The dog came towards me. | elle peh-roh vee-noh ah-see-ah me | el ˈpero ˈβino ˈaθja ˈmi ‖ |
Ti | Esta flor es especial para ti. | This flower is special for you. | ess-tah flor ess ess-peh-see-all pah-rah tee | ˈesta ˈfloɾ ˈes espeˈθjal ˈpaɾa ˈti ‖ |
Usted | Esto es algo que no le corresponde a usted. | This is something that doesn’t correspond to you. | ess-toe ess all-go keh no leh co-ress-pon-deh ah oos-ted | ˈesto ˈes ˈalɣo ˈke ˈno le koresˈponde a wsˈteð ‖ |
Él, ella | Ya no tengo la carta, se la di a ella. | I don’t have the letter anymore, I gave it to her. | ya no ten-go la car-tah, seh la dee ah eh-yah | ʝa ˈno ˈtenɡo la ˈkaɾta | se la ˈði a ˈeʎa ‖ |
Nosotros, nosotras | ¿Por qué no nos preguntaron a nosotros? | Why didn’t they ask us? | pore keh no nos preh-goon-tah-ron ah noss-oh-tross | poɾ ˈke ˈno nos pɾeɣunˈtaɾon a noˈsotɾos ‖ |
Vosotros, vosotras | Vale, entonces en la tarde pasamos por vosotros. | Alright, so we will pick you up in the afternoon. | vah-leh, ehn-ton-sess ehn la tar-deh pah-sah-moss pore vo-soh-tross | ˈbale | enˈtonθes en la ˈtaɾðe paˈsamos poɾ βoˈsotɾos ‖ |
Ustedes | Entre ellos y ustedes, siempre los escogeré a ustedes. | Between them and you, I will always choose you. | ehn-treh eh-yos e oos-teh-dess, see-ehm-preh los es-coh-heh-reh ah oos-teh-dess | ˈentɾe ˈeʎos j usˈteðes | ˈsjempɾe los eskoxeˈɾe a wsˈteðes ‖ |
Ellos, ellas | Según ellos, la entrada debería estar por aquí. | According to them, the entrance should be around here. | seh-goon eh-yoss, la ehn-trah-dah deh-beh-ree-ah ess-tar pore ah-key | seˈɣun ˈeʎos | la enˈtɾaða ðeβeˈɾia esˈtaɾ poɾ aˈki ‖ |
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!
Combination | Contraction | Example | Translation |
a + el | al | Voy a ir al banco. | I’m going to the bank. |
de + el | del | Vengo del super. | I’m coming back from the supermarket. |
con + mí | conmigo | ¡Ven conmigo! | Come with me! |
con + ti | contigo | ¿Quién va a ir contigo? | Who is going to come with you? |
con + sí | consigo | Creo que no llevaba su mochila consigo. | I think he didn’t have his backpack with him. |
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.
Literal translation | Spanish | Meaning | Pronunciation | IPA |
In joke | En broma | As a joke | ehn broh-mah | em ˈbɾoma |
In alive | En vivo | Live, as in live performances | ehn vee-voh | em ˈbiβo |
In serious | En serio | Used when you’re being serious about something | ehn seh-ree-oh | en ˈseɾjo |
For supposed | Por supuesto | Of course | pore soo-poo-ess-toe | poɾ suˈpwesto |
For another part | Por otra parte | On the other hand | pore oh-trah par-teh | poɾ ˈotɾa ˈpaɾte |
In everything’s weight | A pesar de todo | Despite everything | ah peh-sar deh toe-doe | a peˈsaɾ ðe ˈtoðo |
Here between us | Aquí entre nos | Do not repeat what I’m about to tell you | ah-key ehn-treh noss | aˈki ˈentɾe nos |
From part of | De parte de | On behalf of | deh par-teh deh | de ˈpaɾte ðe |
There is no what | No hay de qué | Nothing to thank me for | no ay deh keh | ˈno ˈaj ðe ˈke |
Speaking of the king of Rome | Hablando del rey de Roma | Speak of the devil | ah-blahn-doe dell ray deh ro-mah | aˈβlando ðel ˈrej ðe ˈroma |
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:
Incorrect use ❌ | Correct use ✅ | Example | Translation | Pronunciation | IPA |
A causa que | A causa de que | A causa de que reprobó el exámen, Pedro no podrá pasar la clase. | Because he failed the exam, Pedro won’t be able to pass this class. | ah cah-oo-sah deh keh reh-pro-boh elle ex-ah-men, peh-droh no poh-drah pah-sar la clah-seh | a ˈkawsa ðe ˈke repɾoˈβo el ekˈsamen | ˈpeðɾo ˈno poˈðɾa paˈsaɾ la ˈklase ‖ |
A costas de | A costa de | Martha fue exitosa a costa de todos sus problemas. | Martha was successful despite all of her problems. | mar-tah foo-eh ex-e-toe-sah ah coss-tah deh toe-doss soos pro-bleh-mass | ˈmaɾta ˈfwe eksiˈtosa a ˈkosta ðe ˈtoðos sus pɾoˈβlemas ‖ |
A cuenta de | Por cuenta de | Los gastos del viaje correrán por cuenta de la empresa. | The trip expenses will be paid for by the company. | los gas-toes delle vee-ah-heh coh-reh-ran pore la coo-ehn-tah deh la em-preh-sah | loz ˈɣastoz ðel ˈβjaxe koreˈɾam poɾ ˈkwenta ðe la emˈpɾesa ‖ |
A defecto de | En defecto de | En defecto de champaña, brindaremos con cidra. | In the absence of champagne, we will toast with cider. | ehn deh-fec-toe deh cham-pah-nyah, breen-dah-reh-moss con see-drah | en deˈfekto ðe ʧamˈpaɲa | bɾindaˈɾemos kon ˈθiðɾa ‖ |
A horas | En horas | Es muy difícil manejar por la autopista en horas pico. | It’s very difficult to drive on the highway during rush hour. | ess mooy dee-fee-seel mah-neh-har proe la ah-ooh-toe-pees-tah en oh-rass pee-coe | ˈez muj ðiˈfiθil maneˈxaɾ poɾ la awtoˈpista en ˈoɾas ˈpiko ‖ |
A la mayor brevedad | Con la mayor brevedad | Recibirá una respuesta con la mayor brevedad posible. | You will receive a response as soon as possible. | reh-see-bee-rah oo-nah res-poo-ess-tah con la mah-yoor breh-veh-dad po-see-bleh | reθiβiˈɾa ˈuna resˈpwesta kon la maˈʝoɾ βɾeβeˈðað poˈsiβle ‖ |
A lo que veo | Por lo que veo | Por lo que veo, no le está yendo muy bien en el trabajo… | From what I can tell, he’s not doing very well in his job. | pore lo keh veh-oh, noh leh ess-tah yen-doe mooy bee-ehn ehn elle trah-bah-hoh | poɾ lo ˈke ˈβeo | ˈno le esˈta ˈʝendo muj ˈβjen en el tɾaˈβaxo |
A menos de que | A menos que | No creo que te vaya a poder ver, a menos que llegues muy temprano. | I don’t think I’ll be able to see you, unless you get here very early. | no kreh-oh keh teh vah-yah ah po-dehr ver, ah meh-noss keh yeh-guess mooy tem-prah-no | ˈno ˈkɾeo ˈke te ˈβaʝa a poˈðeɾ ˈβeɾ | a ˈmenos ˈke ˈʎeɣez muj temˈpɾano ‖ |
A opinión de | En opinión de | En opinión del gobierno federal, es indispensable mantener la seguridad de la zona. | In the federal government’s opinion, it’s indispensable to maintain the zone’s security. | ehn oh-pee-nee-ohn dell goh-bee-air-no feh-deh-ral, ess een-dees-pehn-sah-bleh man-teh-nehr la seh-goo-ree-dad deh la zo-nah | en opiˈnjon del ɣoˈβjeɾno feðeˈɾal | ˈes indispenˈsaβle manteˈneɾ la seɣuɾiˈðað ðe la ˈθona ‖ |
A pesar que | A pesar de que | A pesar de que está lloviendo, los niños fueron a jugar al parque. | Despite the rain, the kids still went to the park to play. | ah peh-sahr deh keh ess-tah yo-vee-ehn-doe, loss nee-nyoss foo-air-ohn ah who-gar all par-keh | a peˈsaɾ ðe ˈke esˈta ʎoˈβjendo | loz ˈniɲos ˈfweɾon a xuˈɣaɾ al ˈpaɾke ‖ |
A virtud de | En virtud de | La multa será aplicada en virtud de la ley. | The fine will be applied according to the law. | la mool-tah seh-rah ah-plee-cah-dah ehn veer-tood deh la ley | la ˈmulta seˈɾa apliˈkaða em biɾˈtuð ðe la ˈlej ‖ |
A objeto de | Con objeto de | Los estudiantes visitarán el zoológico con objeto de profundizar su aprendizaje de biología. | The students will visit the zoo in order to deepen their understanding of biology. | loss ess-too-dee-ahn-tess vee-see-ta-rahn elle zo-lo-he-coe con ob-heh-toe deh pro-foon-dee-zar soo ah-prehn-dee-sah-heh deh bee-oh-lo-he-ah | los estuˈðjantez βisitaˈɾan el θooˈloxiko kon oβˈxeto ðe pɾofundiˈθaɾ sw apɾendiˈθaxe ðe βjoloˈxia ‖ |
Al punto de | Hasta el punto de | El crimen ha incrementado hasta el punto de que los habitantes no quieren salir de sus casas. | The crime rate has increased to the point that locals don’t want to leave their houses. | elle cree-men ah een-creh-men-tah-doe ass-tah elle poon-toe deh keh loss ah-bee-tan-tess no key-air-ehn sah-leer deh soos cah-sas | el ˈkɾimen ˈa jnkɾemenˈtaðo ˈasta el ˈpunto ðe ˈke los aβiˈtantez ˈno ˈkjeɾen saˈliɾ ðe sus ˈkasas ‖ |
En relación a | En relación con | El uso de combustibles fósiles en esta ciudad se ha reducido un 10% en relación con 1980. | The use of fossil fuels in this city has reduced by 10% since 1980. | elle oo-so deh com-boos-tee-bless fo-see-less ehn ess-tah see-ooh-dad seh ah reh-doo-see-doe oon dee-ehss pore-see-ehn-toe ehn reh-lah-see-ohn con meel noh-veh-see-ehn-toss oh-chen-tah | el ˈuso ðe kombusˈtiβles ˈfosiles en ˈesta θjuˈðað se ˈa reðuˈθiðo wn 10% en relaˈθjon kon 1980 |
De acuerdo a | De acuerdo con | De acuerdo con las leyes sanitarias, es necesario usar cubrebocas dentro de los hospitales. | According to the sanitary laws, it’s necessary to use a face mask inside hospitals. | deh ah-coo-air-doe con lass leh-yess sah-nee-tah-ree-ass, es neh-seh-sah-ree-oh oo-sar coo-breh-bo-cass den-troh deh los oss-pee-tah-less | de aˈkweɾðo kon laz ˈleʝes saniˈtaɾjas | ˈez neθeˈsaɾjo wˈsaɾ kuβɾeˈβokaz ˈðentɾo ðe los ospiˈtales ‖ |
Vinculado a | Vinculado con | Arrestaron a un criminal vinculado con el crimen organizado. | They arrested a criminal related to organized crime. | ah-ress-tah-ron ah oon cree-mee-nal veen-coo-lah-doe con elle cree-mehn ore-gah-nee-sa-doe | aresˈtaɾon a wn kɾimiˈnal βinkuˈlaðo kon el ˈkɾimen oɾɣaniˈθaðo ‖ |
De arriba a abajo | De arriba abajo | Recuerda revisar tu asiento de arriba abajo antes de bajar del avión. | Remember to thoroughly check your seat as you get off the plane. | reh-coo-air-dah reh-vee-sar too ah-see-ehn-toe deh ah-ree-bah ah-bah-ho ahn-tess deh bah-har dell ah-vee-ohn | reˈkweɾða reβiˈsaɾ tw aˈsjento ðe aˈriβa aˈβaxo ˈantez ðe βaˈxaɾ ðel aˈβjon ‖ |
En base a | Con base en | Nuestros valores se forman con base en nuestra experiencia personal. | Our values are shaped based on our personal experience. | noo-ess-tross vah-loh-ress seh for-man con bah-seh ehn noo-ess-trah ex-is-tehn-see-ah per-so-nall | ˈnwestɾoz βaˈloɾes se ˈfoɾman kom ˈbase en ˈnwestɾa ekspeˈɾjenθja peɾsoˈnal ‖ |
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!
