Prepositions in Spanish

In some ways, prepositions in Spanish are easy to understand because they usually function similarly their English use. However, prepositions are one of the most challenging aspects of using Spanish because it can be hard to remember what to use. A simple and very common preposition such as en, for example, can be translated not only as in—the most common translation—but also as to, by, and about, among others. What Are Prepositions in Spanish? Generally speaking, a preposition is a type of word that expresses a relation to another word or element in the clause. It is used to form a phrase and that phrase, in turn, functions as an adjective or adverb. In both English and Spanish, a preposition is followed by an object—the thing being related to. Lets look at a couple of sample sentences to see how the preposition relates one element of a sentence to another. English: I (subject) am going (verb) to (preposition) the store (prepositional object).Spanish: Yo (subject) voy (verb) a (preposition) la tienda (prepositional object). In the above sentences, to the store (a la tienda) forms a prepositional phrase that functions as an adverb that complements the verb. Here is an example of a prepositional phrase that functions as an adjective: English: I (subject) see (verb) the shoe (direct object) under (preposition) the table (prepositional object).Spanish: Yo (subject) veo (verb) el zapato (direct object) bajo (preposition) la mesa (prepositional object). Common Spanish Prepositions Like English, Spanish has a few dozen prepositions. The following list shows the most common ones along with meanings and sample sentences. a — to, at, by means ofVamos a la ciudad. (We are going to the city.)Vengo a las tres. (I am coming at three.)Viajamos a pie. (We are traveling by foot.)antes de — beforeLeo antes da dormirme. (I read before going to sleep.)bajo — under, underneathEl perro està ¡ bajo la mesa. (The dog is under the table.)cerca de — nearEl perro està ¡ cerca de la mesa. (The dog is near the table.)con — withVoy con à ©l. (I am going with him.)Me gustarà ­a queso con la hamburguesa. (I would like cheese with the hamburger.)contra — againstEstoy contra la huelga. (I am against the strike.)de — of, from, indicating possessionEl sombrero es hecho de papel. (The hat is made of paper.)Soy de Nueva York. (Im from New York.)Prefiero el carro de Juan. (I prefer Juans car. / I prefer the car of Juan.)delante de — in front ofMi carro està ¡ delante de la casa. (My car is in front of the house.)dentro de — inside, inside ofEl perro està ¡ dentr o de la jaula. (The dog is inside the cage.)desde — since, fromNo comà ­ desde ayer. (I havent eaten since yesterday.)Tirà ³ el bà ©isbol desde la ventana. (He threw the baseball from the window.)despuà ©s de — afterComemos despuà ©s de la clase. (We are eating after class.)detrà ¡s de — behindEl perro està ¡ detrà ¡s de la mesa. (The dog is behind the table.)durante — duringDormimos durante la clase. (We slept during the class.)en — in, onElla està ¡ en Nueva York. (She is in New York.)El perro està ¡ en la mesa. (The dog is on the table.)encima de — on top ofEl gato està ¡ encima de la casa. (The cat is on top of the house.)enfrente de — in front ofEl perro està ¡ enfrente de la mesa. (The dog is in front of the table.)entre — between, amongEl perro està ¡ entre la mesa y el sofà ¡. (The dog is between the table and the sofa.)Andemos entre los à ¡rboles. (Lets walk among the trees.)fuera de — outside, ou tside ofEl perro està ¡ fuera de la casa. (The dog is outside of the house.)hacia — towardCaminamos hacia la escuela. (We are walking toward the school.)hasta — until, as far hasDuermo hasta las seis. (Im sleeping until six.)Viajamos hasta la ciudad. (We are traveling as far as the city.)para — for, in order toEl regalo es para usted. (The gift is for you.)Trabajo para ser rico. (I work in order to be rich.)por — for, by, perDamos gracias por la comida. (We give thanks for the meal.)Fue escrito por Juan. (It was written by Juan.)El peso cotiza a 19.1 por dà ³lar. (The peso is quoted at 19.1 per dollar.)segà ºn — according toSegà ºn mi madre va a nevar. (According to my mother it is going to snow.)sin — withoutVoy sin à ©l. (I am going without him.)sobre — over, about (in the sense of concerning)Se cayà ³ sobre la silla. (He fell over the chair.)Es un programa sobre el presidente. (Its a program about the president.)tras — after, behindCaminaban uno tras otro. (They walked one after the other. They walked one behind the other.)