Prepositions in Spanish

If you’ve ever tried to say something like “I’m going to school” or “The book is on the table” in Spanish, you’ll quickly realize that you can’t go far without prepositions. These short words — like a, en, de, por, para — make a sentence logical and alive. They connect words together, showing direction, time, reason, or place of an action. Prepositions are like a little glue that holds the entire Spanish grammar together. Without them, a sentence would simply fall apart. For example, the difference between Voy a Madrid and Voy por Madrid may seem tiny, but it actually changes the meaning: in the first case, you’re going to Madrid, and in the second — passing through it. In this article, we’ll take a close look at what kinds of prepositions exist in Spanish, how they work, and how to avoid confusing the trickiest ones — por and para. You’ll find tables, examples, exercises, and real phrases that will help you quickly master the topic. After reading, you’ll be able not just to insert prepositions randomly but to feel them like native speakers do.

A preposition is a short word that connects other parts of a sentence and shows how one word relates to another. In Spanish, you can’t express movement, time, place, or reason without prepositions.
Examples:

• Vivo en España. — I live in Spain.
• Voy a casa. — I’m going home.
• El libro está sobre la mesa. — The book is on the table.

Without prepositions, these sentences simply wouldn’t make sense.
📘 The special thing about Spanish prepositions is that they don’t change — they don’t depend on gender, number, or case. The meaning always depends on context, because the same preposition can have different translations:

• en — can mean “in,” “on,” or “at” (depending on the situation);
• a — “to,” “at,” “into”;
• de — “from,” “of,” “about.”

Because of that, students often try to translate literally from their native language, but that doesn’t always work. A Spanish preposition expresses a logical connection, not just “decorates” a sentence.
You can think of prepositions as road signs in language. They show direction — physical, temporal, or logical. For instance, con (“with”) connects, sin (“without”) separates, por points to a reason, and para indicates a goal.
💡 Tip: Don’t memorize every preposition’s translation separately. It’s much better to learn them as part of set expressions: pensar en, soñar con, depender de. This way, you’ll start using them naturally — just like native speakers do.

To speak naturally in Spanish, it’s important to distinguish between prepositions that show movement (where to, from, through) and those that describe location (where something is).
This difference often confuses students because in many other languages, a single word like “in” or “on” covers both ideas.
📍 Prepositions of Movement show direction:

• a — to, toward
• hacia — toward, in the direction of
• hasta — up to, until
• por — through, along
• desde — from, since

Examples:

• Voy a Madrid. — I’m going to Madrid.
• Camina hacia la playa. — He’s walking toward the beach.
• Trabajo desde las nueve hasta las seis. — I work from nine to six.
• Paseamos por el parque. — We’re walking through the park.

💡 Note: If there’s movement, you’ll almost always use a, hacia, hasta, or por.
📍 Prepositions of Place show where an object is located:

• en — in, on, at
• sobre — on, above
• debajo de — under
• delante de — in front of
• detrás de — behind
• entre — between
• cerca de — near
• lejos de — far from

Examples:

• El libro está en la mesa. — The book is on the table.
• El gato duerme debajo de la cama. — The cat sleeps under the bed.
• La escuela está cerca de mi casa. — The school is near my house.

🔸 Main Difference:

• If you’re moving somewhere → a, hacia, hasta, por, desde.
• If you’re staying somewhere → en, sobre, debajo de, entre…

That’s what makes Voy a la escuela (“I’m going to school”) different from Estoy en la escuela (“I’m at school”).
It may seem like a small detail, but without it, native speakers will instantly notice that you sound “textbookish” rather than natural.

Prepositions of time help clarify when an action happens — on what day, in which month, moment, or period. Without them, a sentence sounds incomplete or even illogical.
Spanish speakers carefully choose between en, a, de, por, and others depending on the context.
🕓 En — “in” (month, year, season)
Used for long periods of time:

• En verano hace calor. — It’s hot in summer.
• Nací en 2006. — I was born in 2006.
• En diciembre viajamos a España. — In December, we travel to Spain.

🕐 A — “at” (exact time)
Used when talking about a specific hour:

• La clase empieza a las ocho. — The class starts at eight.
• Nos vemos a las tres. — See you at three.

🕒 De / Desde / Hasta — “from … to …”
Show the beginning and end of a time period:

• Trabajo de lunes a viernes. — I work from Monday to Friday.
• Desde las nueve hasta las seis. — From nine to six.

🌇 Por — “around,” “during,” “in the (morning / afternoon / evening)”
Used when the time is not exact:

• Por la mañana estudio español. — I study Spanish in the morning.
• Salimos por la tarde. — We go out in the afternoon.

🌙 Durante — “during,” “for”
Shows duration:

• Viví en México durante tres años. — I lived in Mexico for three years.

💬 Tip:
For learners, it’s important to remember that even if your native language uses “in,” Spanish doesn’t always use en.
For example:

• En verano — in summer,
• but A las ocho — at eight.

The best way to learn time prepositions is to remember them through examples, not translations. That way, you’ll quickly get a feel for which preposition “fits” naturally.

We’ve reached one of the trickiest topics for anyone learning Spanish. Both por and para can often be translated as “for,” “because of,” or “in order to.” However, their meanings are different — and that difference determines which one you should use.
🔹 “Para” — purpose, goal, result
This preposition shows why or for whom an action is done.
It’s always oriented toward the future or a final point.
📘 Examples:

• Estudio para aprender español. — I study to learn Spanish.
• Este regalo es para ti. — This gift is for you.
• Salimos para Madrid mañana. — We’re leaving for Madrid tomorrow.
• Trabajo para una empresa internacional. — I work for an international company.

💡 Remember: if you can ask “why?” or “what for?”, the answer will use para.
🔸 “Por” — reason, method, time, path
This preposition shows because of what or through what something happens.
It’s not about the goal but the cause or process.
📙 Examples:

• Gracias por tu ayuda. — Thanks for your help.
• Voy por el parque. — I walk through the park.
• Te cambio mi libro por el tuyo. — I’ll trade my book for yours.
• Hablo por teléfono. — I talk on the phone.
• Lo hago por ti. — I do it for you.

💡 If you can ask “why?” or “through what?”, you’ll usually need por.
💬 Tip:
Think of para as something that takes you forward — toward a goal, while por shows a reason or a path.
If an action is aimed toward something, use para.
If it goes through something, use por.

Contraction of Prepositions with Articles (al / del)

Spanish loves contractions — especially when it comes to combining prepositions with definite articles. The most common cases are a + el and de + el.
Instead of using the long forms, native speakers almost always shorten them to al and del.
📘 1️⃣ A + el = al
This contraction appears when the preposition a (“to,” “at,” “into”) is followed by a masculine noun with the article el.
🔹 Examples:

• Voy a el parque. → ❌
• ✅ Voy al parque. — I’m going to the park.
• Mira a el chico. → ❌
• ✅ Mira al chico. — Look at the boy.

💡 Note: if a is followed by la, los, or las, there’s no contraction.
For example:

• Voy a la escuela. — I’m going to school.
• Voy a los museos. — I go to the museums.

📗 2️⃣ De + el = del
The same thing happens with the preposition de (“from,” “of,” “about”).
🔹 Examples:

• Vengo de el cine. → ❌
• ✅ Vengo del cine. — I’m coming from the cinema.
• La casa de el profesor. → ❌
• ✅ La casa del profesor. — The teacher’s house.

And again — with la, las, or los, there’s no contraction:

• La puerta de la casa. — The door of the house.
• Las llaves de los coches. — The keys to the cars.

⚠️ Important:
The contractions al and del are used only with the definite article el.
If the word is él (with an accent), it’s the pronoun “he”, not the article — so you can’t contract it:

• Hablo de él. — I’m talking about him. ✅
• No hablo del él. — ❌ Wrong.

💬 Tip:
Don’t try to translate it literally — just remember that al and del sound natural to any native speaker.
If you want to sound fluent, use them automatically without thinking about the rule.

Common Mistakes with Prepositions and How to Avoid Them

Prepositions are one of the most common “traps” for Spanish learners. They look short and simple, but they can easily confuse you — especially when a direct translation from your native language seems obvious. Below are the most frequent mistakes and how to avoid them.
❌ 1️⃣ Literal translation from your native language
Many students try to use “in,” “on,” or “with” the same way as in their own language — but in Spanish, it doesn’t work that way.

• I’m thinking about you → not “Pienso sobre ti,” but ✅ “Pienso en ti.”
• I’m talking with my friend → not “Hablo a mi amigo,” but ✅ “Hablo con mi amigo.”

💡 Remember: every verb “lives” with its own preposition — learn them as fixed expressions (soñar con, depender de, enamorarse de).
❌ 2️⃣ Confusing “por” and “para”
These two prepositions are especially tricky — both can mean “for,” “because of,” or “in order to.”

• Trabajo por dinero (I work because of money — reason) ≠ Trabajo para ganar dinero (I work to earn money — purpose).

💡 Solution: ask yourself — “why?” → por, “what for?” → para.
❌ 3️⃣ Mixing up “en” and “a”
In English (and many other languages), “in” or “to” is universal — but not in Spanish.

• Estoy en la escuela — I’m at school (location).
• Voy a la escuela — I’m going to school (movement).

💡 Keep it simple: en = where, a = where to.
❌ 4️⃣ Skipping the preposition
In Spanish, you can’t “swallow” prepositions, even if your native language doesn’t use them.

• ❌ Dependo ti.
• ✅ Dependo de ti. — I depend on you.

❌ 5️⃣ Overusing “de”
Some learners use de almost everywhere they feel a connection between words. But not everything that’s connected needs “of” or “from.”

• ❌ Casado de María.
• ✅ Casado con María. — Married to María.

💬 Main Tip:
Make a short list of common expressions with prepositions you often see: pensar en, hablar de, soñar con, enamorarse de, depender de.
Repeat them daily in context — and within a few weeks, you’ll start using the right prepositions automatically, without overthinking.

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