Prepositions in Spanish : complete course

What Is a Preposition in Spanish?

A preposition is a small word that connects two parts of a sentence. It shows the relationship between a noun (or pronoun) and another word. In Spanish, prepositions are called preposiciones and they work in a similar way to English prepositions, but with some important differences.

For example, they can indicate location, direction, time, cause, or purpose. Learning them is one of the first steps to building correct and natural sentences in Spanish.

Simple Examples to Get Started

• Estoy en casa. — I am at home.
• Voy a la escuela. — I go to school.
• El libro está sobre la mesa. — The book is on the table.
• Hablo con mi amiga. — I speak with my friend.

As you can see, these small words carry a lot of meaning. Without them, sentences would not make sense.

Key Elements of Prepositions in Spanish

Spanish has a set of common prepositions that you will use every day. Let us look at the most important ones.

The Most Common Spanish Prepositions

Prepositions of Place

Some prepositions are used to describe where something or someone is. These are very useful for everyday conversations.

• El gato está debajo de la silla. — The cat is under the chair.
• La farmacia está cerca de la plaza. — The pharmacy is near the square.
• Vivo entre el banco y el supermercado. — I live between the bank and the supermarket.

Prepositions of Time

Other prepositions tell us when something happens. Here are a few common ones:

• La reunión es a las tres. — The meeting is at three o’clock.
• Trabajo desde las nueve hasta las cinco. — I work from nine to five.
• Llegué antes de las diez. — I arrived before ten.

Why Prepositions in Spanish Matter

You might be wondering: why focus so much on these tiny words? The answer is simple. Prepositions are everywhere in Spanish. You need them to say where you are, where you are going, what you are doing, and when you are doing it.

Using the wrong preposition can change the meaning of a sentence completely. For example, hablar de means ‘to talk about’, while hablar con means ‘to talk with’. One small word makes a big difference!

Learning the most common prepositions early will help you communicate more clearly and feel more confident in Spanish.

Comparison with Other Languages

If you already speak English or French, you will notice some similarities — but also some key differences.

One important note: in Spanish, the preposition a combines with the article el to form al. For example: Voy al mercado. (I go to the market.) This contraction does not exist in English, but it is similar to French du and au.

A Complete Example

Let us look at a short paragraph that uses several prepositions. Read it carefully and try to identify each one.

Por las mañanas, voy a la universidad en autobús. Estudio con mis amigos en la biblioteca. A las dos, como en un restaurante cerca de la plaza. Por la tarde, vuelvo a casa sin pasar por el centro.

Translation: In the mornings, I go to university by bus. I study with my friends in the library. At two o’clock, I eat in a restaurant near the square. In the afternoon, I go back home without passing through the city centre.

• por — used for time (in the mornings) and manner (by bus)
• a — used for direction (to university, at two o’clock)
• con — used for company (with my friends)
• en — used for location (in the library, in a restaurant)
• cerca de — used for relative position (near the square)
• sin — used to express absence (without)

Key Points to Remember

• Prepositions are short words that connect ideas in a sentence.
• The most important ones are: a, de, en, con, por, para, sin, sobre.
• A + el becomes al — this is a required contraction in Spanish.
• Prepositions of place and time are especially useful for beginners.
• Some Spanish prepositions have several meanings in English — context is key.
• Practice with real sentences to memorise them naturally.

Sources

• Real Academia Española (RAE) — Nueva gramática de la lengua española, 2009.
• Butt, J. and Benjamin, C. — A New Reference Grammar of Modern Spanish, Routledge, 5th edition, 2011.
• Penny, R. — A History of the Spanish Language, Cambridge University Press, 2002.