Learn Prepositions in Spanish
Educational guide to understand and learn the usage of prepositions in the Spanish language. Discover examples and boost your skills.
a lo largo
along
The Spanish translation for 'along' is 'a lo largo'. It can be used in context to explain a position or movement happening from one part to another of a surface or line. For example, 'Caminamos a lo largo del río', meaning 'We walked along the river'. Besides, it can be used metaphorically to illustrate a particular duration in time.
Example sentences with a lo largo →a pesar de
despite
The Spanish phrase 'a pesar de' is equivalent to 'despite' in English. It is used in sentences to show contradiction between two ideas, situations, or statements. It is often followed by a noun, pronoun, or verb in the infinitive form, to give a sense of 'in spite of' or 'even though'. For instance, 'a pesar de la lluvia, salió a correr' translates to 'despite the rain, he went out for a run'.
Example sentences with a pesar de →a través
through
The Spanish word 'a través' is used much in the same manner as 'through' in English. It can imply the motion or positioning of something in a medium (as in, 'walking through the park'), the continuation of a period of time (as in, 'through the years'), or as a preposition in certain verbal expressions (as in, 'look through the window'). Note that 'a través de' might also be used, depending on the context.
Example sentences with a través →acerca de
about
The Spanish phrase 'acerca de' is used much like the English word 'about.' In a sentence, it links the main subject with additional information - whether that is a secondary subject matter, a theme or a place. For example, in the phrase 'Quiero hablar acerca de esto' translates to 'I want to talk about this.'
Example sentences with acerca de →afuera
outside
In Spanish, the word 'afuera' is used similarly as the word 'outside' in English. It is an adverb that indicates place and can mean on or to the outside. The word 'afuera' is mostly used to specify a direction or location that is external or outside of something. Like in the sentence, 'El perro está afuera', meaning 'The dog is outside'. It should be noted that 'Afuera' is often used in Latin American Spanish, while 'Fuera' is more commonly used in Spain for the same meaning.
Example sentences with afuera →ahorro
savings
The Spanish word 'ahorro' translates to 'savings' in English. It is often used in the context of finance, where it refers to money that an individual or organization has saved, typically through a bank or official scheme. 'Ahorro' could also refer to the act of saving in terms of reducing expenses or the act of preserving something from loss or depletion.
alrededor
around
The Spanish word 'alrededor' is used in much the same contexts as 'around' is used in English. This could mean in a physical sense, e.g. to describe something being surrounding or encircling something else. It can also be used in a metaphorical sense, e.g. to describe when something is happening nearby or in the vicinity. A thing to note is that 'alrededor' is usually accompanied by 'de' when used before a noun, similar to saying 'around of' in English.
Example sentences with alrededor →antes
before
The Spanish 'antes' is used in sentences similar to how 'before' is used in English. This word can be used both in the context of time, such as 'I eat before I workout', translating to 'Yo como antes de hacer ejercicio', and also in a comparison, such as 'I prefer coffee before tea', translating to 'Prefiero el café antes que el té'.
Example sentences with antes →con
with
In Spanish, 'con' is used to indicate accompaniment, inclusion or possession. It is similar to the English preposition 'with'. For example, in the sentence 'Estoy con mi amigo' means 'I am with my friend'.
Example sentences with con →contra
against
The Spanish word 'contra' translates to 'against' in English. It is used in a similar manner as in English, expressing opposition or resistance. 'Contra' can be used in contexts like sports (playing against a team), expressing disagreement (against a proposal), or in physical positioning (leaned against the wall).
Example sentences with contra →debajo
under
The Spanish word 'debajo' translates to 'under' in English and is usually used to describe the location of something. It implies that a certain object is below or beneath another object in a physical sense. Like in English, 'debajo' is often used prepositionally in Spanish sentences. An example sentence in Spanish would be 'El gato está debajo de la mesa,' which means 'The cat is under the table.'
Example sentences with debajo →dentro
within
The Spanish translation for 'within' is 'dentro'. 'Dentro' is typically used to indicate that something is contained in a particular area or space. Like in English, it can also represent being within a certain range or period of time. For instance, 'dentro de una semana' translates to 'within a week'. It's important to note that 'dentro' position can sometimes change according to the Spanish sentence structure.
Example sentences with dentro →desde
from
The Spanish word 'desde' is equivalent to 'from' in English. It is often used to convey a starting point of time or place. For example, 'Desde la mañana' translates to 'from the morning'. It is useful in setting the context or period from which something begins.
Example sentences with desde →después
after
The Spanish word 'después' means 'after' in English and is most commonly used to indicate that something happens or is done later than something else or it refers to the time that follows an event. For example, 'Después de la fiesta, tenemos que limpiar' means 'After the party, we have to clean'. It can also be used to talk about position in location or order.
Example sentences with después →detrás
behind
The Spanish word 'detrás' is equivalent to 'behind' in English. It is mostly used in sentences to express physical location or position. However, similar to English, it can also be used metaphorically to suggest lateness or shortfall in progress. Like 'behind schedule'. A proper use of the word in sentence could be 'La pelota está detrás del árbol' (The ball is behind the tree).
Example sentences with detrás →durante
during
In Spanish, 'durante' is used similarly to the English preposition 'during'. It is used to specify or denote a time period during which something occurs or is happening. For example, you might say 'Leo un libro durante la tarde', which translates to 'I read a book during the afternoon'. Though other context-specific translations may exist, such as using 'mientras' for 'while' or 'while during', 'durante' still remains the most direct translation of 'during' in Spanish.
Example sentences with durante →en
into
The Spanish equivalent for the English preposition 'into' is 'en'. It conveys the movement or direction of something towards the inside of a container or place. Also, it can indicate a transformation of a state or condition. Keep in mind, 'en' is a versatile preposition which can express diverse notions based on context.
Example sentences with en →guardar
save
The Spanish word 'guardar' is used similarly to the English word 'save'. It can mean to conserve or keep something, such as saving food for later. It is also used in a technological context, for saving a document or file on a computer. Remember to conjugate it according to the subject of the sentence.
Example sentences with guardar →gusta
like
In Spanish, 'like' is translated as 'gusta'. It is primarily used in expressing likes and preferences. It is usually followed by a verb in infinitive form in expressions such as 'Me gusta correr', which translates 'I like to run'. However, it is essential to know that the Spanish verb to like 'gustar' doesn't work the same way as it does in English. Instead of 'I like', it is closer to 'it pleases me'.
Example sentences with gusta →hasta
until
The Spanish word 'hasta' is used in a similar context to the English word 'until'. It can be used to indicate a point of time or an event that something will continue up to. For example, in the sentence 'I will wait until tomorrow', the word 'until' would be translated to 'hasta' in Spanish - 'Voy a esperar hasta mañana'.
Example sentences with hasta →incluyendo
including
The term 'incluyendo' in Spanish is used in the same context as 'including' in English. It is mainly used to introduce one or more elements that form a part of the whole item or group. Just as in English, it's not typically used to start a sentence, but instead acts as a connector within the sentence or statement.
Example sentences with incluyendo →más allá
beyond
The term 'más allá' is a phrase in Spanish that is directly translated to 'beyond' in English. It is used to indicate something that is further away, in the distance, or happening after a certain point or event. It can be used in a variety of contexts, including physical distance, time, or even metaphysical concepts.
Example sentences with más allá →mientras
while
The Spanish word 'mientras' is used to mean 'while', typically indicating simultaneous events or a condition that is true as long as something else is happening. For instance, you might say 'Escucho música mientras estudio' to mean 'I listen to music while I study'. It can also be used to imply a contrast, similar to how 'while' is used in English.
Example sentences with mientras →pasado
past
The Spanish word 'pasado' is used similarly to the English 'past'. It can be used to denote the time that has elapsed (e.g., 'En el pasado, las cosas eran diferentes' means 'In the past, things were different') or to describe the past tense in grammar. It is also used in some phrases and idiomatic expressions.
Example sentences with pasado →sin
without
The Spanish word 'sin' is used in exactly the same way as the English word 'without'. It's a preposition used to express the absence or lack of something. For instance, 'Estoy sin dinero' means 'I'm without money'.
Example sentences with sin →sobre
over
The Spanish word 'sobre' is used in many contexts like 'over', particularly in phrases related to spatial location, or to describe the end of a period or event. However, it's important to note that due to the complexity and subtleties of both languages, it may not always directly translate to 'over' in every context. Always consider the intended usage before translating.
Example sentences with sobre →