¡Hola, amigos! In this post, I will help you learn the most important Spanish prepositions in a snap.
TO REFRESH, WHAT IS A PREPOSITION?
A preposition is usually a word that connects a noun to other words in a sentence. This little guy helps us understand where, when, how, or in what direction something is happening. Examples:
Juan is in Colombia.
I want chicken with French fries.
This present is for Pepe.
BASIC PREPOSITIONS: THE COMPLETE LIST
Here is a list of the main prepositions used in Spanish, along with their primary translations. However, keep in mind that these words can be tricky and may have multiple meanings. The examples provided show only one or a few of their possible uses.
1. a – to, at
Juan va a la ciudad. / Juan goes to the city.
El evento es a las 5 pm. / The event is at 5 pm.
2. ante – before (in presence of)
Ella estaba ante el juez. / She was before the judge.
3. bajo – under, beneath
El gato está bajo la mesa. / The cat is under the table.
4. con – with
Voy con mis amigos. / I go with my friends.
5. contra – against
Votaron contra la propuesta. / They voted against the proposal.
6. de – of, from
La puerta de la casa. / The door of the house.
Ella viene de España. / She comes from Spain.
7. desde – from, since
He vivido aquí desde 2010. / I have lived here since 2010.
8. durante – during
Hablamos durante la reunión. / We talked during the meeting.
9. en – in, on, at
Juan vive en Colombia. / Juan lives in Colombia.
El libro está en la mesa. / The book is on the table.
10. entre – between, among
La casa está entre el parque y la escuela. / The house is between the park and the school.
11. hacia – towards
Ella caminó hacia la puerta. / She walked towards the door.
12. hasta – until, up to
Quédate aquí hasta mi regreso. / Stay here until my return.
13. mediante – through
Aprendió español mediante la práctica. / He learned Spanish through practice.
14. para – for, in order to
Este regalo es para ti. / This gift is for you.
Estudio para aprender. / I study in order to learn.
15. por – for, by, through
Gracias por tu ayuda. / Thank you for your help.
Caminamos por el parque. / We walked through the park.
16. según – according to
Según el informe, las ventas aumentaron. / According to the report, sales increased.
17. sin – without
Café sin azúcar. / Coffee without sugar.
18. sobre – on, about, over
El avión voló sobre las montañas. / The plane flew over the mountains.
Una charla sobre historia. / A talk about history.
19. tras – after
Llegaron tras la tormenta. / They arrived after the storm.
Now, let’s put them in two charts:
PART 1
| # | ESPAÑOL | MAIN TRANSLATION |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | A | TO, AT |
| 2 | ANTE | BEFORE (IN PRESENCE OF) |
| 3 | BAJO | UNDER, BENEATH |
| 4 | CON | WITH |
| 5 | CONTRA | AGAINST |
| 6 | DE | OF, FROM |
| 7 | DESDE | FROM, SINCE |
| 8 | DURANTE | DURING |
| 9 | EN | IN, ON, AT |
| 10 | ENTRE | BETWEEN, AMONG |
PART 2
| # | ESPAÑOL | MAIN TRANSLATION |
|---|---|---|
| 11 | HACIA | TOWARDS |
| 12 | HASTA | UNTIL, UP TO |
| 13 | MEDIANTE | THROUGH |
| 14 | PARA | FOR, IN ORDER TO |
| 15 | POR | FOR, BY, THROUGH |
| 16 | SEGÚN | ACCORDING TO |
| 17 | SIN | WITHOUT |
| 18 | SOBRE | ON, ABOUT, OVER |
| 19 | TRAS | AFTER |
And now, let’s play this game so you can learn the main meanings of these prepositions in a snap!
