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Prepositions

A2

Spanish prepositions link words and express place, direction, time and relation; many verbs require a fixed preposition.

Overview

Spanish prepositions link words and express place, direction, time and relation; many verbs require a fixed preposition.

At a glance
  1. 1.en (location) vs. a (direction/goal)
  2. 2.de: origin, possession, material
  3. 3.con, sin, sobre, entre, contra
  4. 4.hacia, hasta, desde
  5. 5.Fixed verb + preposition pairs

Rules

5

1en (location) vs. a (direction/goal)

Use en for where something is; use a for the direction or goal of movement.

  • Estoy en casa.I am at home.location = en
  • Voy a Madrid.I'm going to Madrid.goal = a
  • Vivo en España.I live in Spain.

2de: origin, possession, material

de expresses origin, belonging, material and the starting point.

  • Soy de Alemania.I'm from Germany.origin
  • El libro de María.María's book.possession
  • Una mesa de madera.A wooden table.material

3con, sin, sobre, entre, contra

con = with, sin = without, sobre = on/about, entre = between, contra = against.

  • Café con leche, por favor.Coffee with milk, please.
  • El gato está entre las cajas.The cat is between the boxes.
  • Jugamos contra ellos.We play against them.

4hacia, hasta, desde

hacia = towards, hasta = until/up to, desde = since/from.

  • Camino hacia el parque.I walk towards the park.direction
  • Trabajo desde las nueve hasta las cinco.I work from nine until five.from ... until

5Fixed verb + preposition pairs

Some verbs require a fixed preposition: pensar en, soñar con, depender de.

  • Pienso en ti.I think of you.pensar en
  • Sueño con viajar.I dream of traveling.soñar con
  • Depende de ti.It depends on you.depender de

Test

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