Spanish prepositions are small grammar words used to connect and express relations between words, whether they be time, space, movement, location or logic relationships: Estoy en París. / I’m in Paris.
The 23 Spanish prepositions in alphabetical order are:
| a to, at | durante for, during | según according to, as |
| ante before, in view of | en in, on, at | sin without |
| bajo under, below | entre between, among | so* under |
| cabe* beside, next to | hacia toward, about | sobre on, over, above, about |
| con with | hasta until | tras after, behind |
| contra against | mediante through, by means of | versus versus |
| de of, from, about | para for, in order to, toward | vía via |
| desde from, since | por for, by, through, along, per |
Quick tip: Spanish prepositions are invariable, meaning they do not change according to gender (masculine or feminine) or number (singular or plural).
Most common Spanish prepositions
Many of the most common prepositions in Spanish have a variety of uses, ranging from time, to place and location or purpose, among frequent uses. The most common prepositions in Spanish are:
En
The preposition en has several uses, encompassing many contained within the English prepositions in, on, and at.
- Location
Unlike English, Spanish makes no distinction whatsoever as to whether someone or something is inside, on a surface, or at a place:
Estaré en Londres la semana próxima.
I’ll be in London next week.
El teléfono celular está en la mesa.
The cell phone is on the table.
Lisa estudia en la universidad.
Lisa studies at university.
- Time
En is used to introduce several expressions of time, including months, years, seasons, and colloquial phrases:
Se casaron en septiembre.
They got married in September.
Einstein murió en 1955.
Einstein died in 1955.
Estaré listo en un minuto.
I’ll be ready in a minute.
- Other uses
Soy buena en música.
I’m good at music.
Esa gente habla en inglés.
Those people are speaking English.
¿Me lo dices en serio?
Are you serious?
A
The preposition a has multiple uses:
- Destination
It indicates a destination point.
Viajaremos a Barcelona en diciembre.
We’ll travel to Barcelona in December.
Los alumnos van a la escuela todos los días.
The students go to school every day.
- Time and place
It is used before hours to tell the time. It also expresses time or space limit when used in combination with de or desde:
Recorrimos el país de norte a sur.
We traveled the country from north to south.
Se encontrarán en el museo a las nueve en punto.
They’ll meet at the museum at nine o'clock.
- Purpose
It is usually followed by an infinitive verb to indicate the purpose of an action:
Fue a cobrar un cheque.
He went to cash a check.
Debo ir a hacer las compras ahora mismo.
I need to go shopping right now.
- Other uses
Todavía no le dimos el regalo a Juan.
We still haven’t given Juan the present.Mi novio no conoce a mis padres.
My boyfriend hasn’t met my parents.
Important: When a is used before the definite article el (the), they become one word, al:
Debo ir al supermercado a comprar comida.
I must go to the supermarket to buy some food.
De
The preposition de is used to indicate possession, origin, material, and cause, among other uses.
- Possession
It is equivalent to the genitive case (’s) in English:
Visitamos la casa de Víctor Hugo en París.
We visited Victor Hugo’s house in Paris.
Me encantan los zapatos de tu hermana.
I love your sister’s shoes.
- Origin
It is equivalent to the English preposition “from”:
¿De dónde eres? Soy de México.
Where are you from? I’m from Mexico.
Esta obra es de la Edad Media.
This work is from the Middle Ages.
- Material
It is equivalent to “be made of”:
Es un anillo de oro.
It’s a gold ring.
Las cortinas de terciopelo son muy pesadas.
Velvet curtains are very heavy.
- Cause
Miles de niños mueren de hambre en el mundo todos los días.
Thousands of children die of hunger every day.
Lloré de emoción por la interpretación de la cantante.
I cried with emotion because of the singer's performance.
- Other uses
Llegamos de noche al hotel.
We arrived at the hotel at night.
¿Quieres un pedazo de pastel?
Would you like a piece of cake?
Tomo clases de inglés todos los días.
I take English classes every day.
¿Cuán lejos es de Madrid a Toledo?
How far is it from Madrid to Toledo?
Important: When de is used before the definite article el (the), they become one word, del:
La casa del abuelo era muy grande.
Grandpa’s house was very big.
All Spanish prepositions explained
1. A (to, at)
The preposition a is used to indicate destination, time or space range. It also expresses purpose, direction, or manner:
Iré a la tienda.
I’ll go to the store.
La clase es a las cuatro.
The class is at four.
2. Ante (before, in view of)
The preposition “ante” means “in the face of”, “in front of”, “before”:
La artista cantó ante una audiencia de miles de personas.
The artist sang before an audience of thousands of people.
Deberemos hacernos cargo ante la difícil situación.
We will have to take charge in the face of the difficult situation.
3. Bajo (under, below)
The preposition bajo indicates a lower position in relation to something or someone else both literally and metaphorically:
Hace un grado bajo cero.
It’s one degree below zero.
Toda Europa estuvo bajo el dominio del Imperio Romano.
All of Europe was under the control of the Roman Empire.
4. Con (with)
Although it is used mainly to indicate company, the preposition con can also introduce a complement expressing means, addition and simultaneity, as well as cause and concession:
¿Puedo ir con ustedes?
Can I come with you?
Me corté con un cuchillo afilado.
I cut myself with a sharp knife.
5. Contra (against)
The preposition contra expresses confrontation and opposition. It is also used for location and destination:
Nadie está contra ti.
Nobody is against you.
Juan estaba apoyado contra la pared.
Juan was leaning against the wall.
6. De (of, from, about)
One of the most common prepositions in Spanish, de is used to express possession, ownership and origin, as well as material, cause and purpose, among other uses:
El gato de María es blanco y negro.
María’s cat is black and white.
Pedro es de España.
Pedro is from Spain.
7. Desde (from, since)
The preposition desde indicates the starting point of an action, state or time period, and that of a journey or distance:
Estudio español desde el año pasado.
I’ve been studying Spanish since last year.
El tren va desde Londres hasta Edimburgo.
The train goes from London to Edinburgh.
8. Durante (for, during)
The preposition durante expresses a time period during which an action or state occurs:
Hizo mucho frío durante el invierno pasado.
It was very cold during last winter.
El bebé se largó a llorar durante el concierto.
The baby started crying during the concert.
9. En (in, on, at)
The preposition en indicates a point in time or space. When used with verbs of movement, it expresses destination, manner or period of time:
La historia sucede en la Escocia medieval.
The story takes place in medieval Scotland.
Hoy no fui a trabajar y me quedé en casa.
Today I didn’t go to work and stayed home.
10. Entre (between, among)
The preposition entre is used to indicate a space, time or abstract relationship between two or more elements. It also expresses reciprocity:
Hay un buen clima entre todos nosotros.
There’s a good atmosphere among all of us.
La Segunda Guerra Mundial tuvo lugar entre 1939 y 1945.
World War II took place between 1939 and 1945.
11. Hacia (toward, about)
The preposition hacia is used with verbs of movement to express direction both of time and space:
Nos dirigimos hacia el norte.
We’re heading north.
Mis amigos llegarán hacia las nueve.
My friends will arrive around nine.
12. Hasta (until)
The preposition hasta indicates space or time limit, usually used in combination with the prepositions de or desde:
Los bancos están abiertos hasta las tres.
Banks are open until three.
Siempre caminamos desde casa hasta la universidad.
We always walk from home to university.
13. Mediante (through, by means of)
The preposition mediante indicates the means through which something is done. It is also used with the meaning of “with the help of”:
Mediante la pasteurización, se eliminan las bacterias de la leche.
Through pasteurization, all bacteria are eliminated from milk.
La pareja comunica mediante abogados.
The couple communicates through lawyers.
14. Para (for, in order to, toward)
The preposition para indicates the recipient, destination or purpose of something. In addition, it expresses space and time limits, and point of view:
Este regalo es para María.
This present is for María.
Para mí, eso no es verdad.
For me, that’s not true.
15. Por (for, because of, by, through, along, per, to)
The preposition por indicates an unspecified space or time movement, as well as manner, value, means and frequency. It is also used to introduce the agent of a passive voice sentence:
La tormenta destruyó muchas casas por la zona.
The storm destroyed many houses around the area.
La Sonata “Patética” fue compuesta por Beethoven.
The Sonata “Pathétique” was composed by Beethoven.
16. Según (according to, as soon as)
The preposition según expresses point of view. It is also used with the meaning of “according to” or “based on”, depending on the context:
Según fuentes oficiales, el ataque sucedió a la madrugada.
According to official sources, the attack took place during the night.
Él es una persona querida, según lo que he leído.
He is a beloved person from what I’ve read.
17. Sin (without)
The preposition sin expresses “lack of”:
Ella no se irá sin su hijo.
She’ll not leave without her son.
Estoy sin ganas de salir.
I don’t feel like going out.
18. Sobre (on, over, above, about)
The preposition sobre indicates “at a superior level”, both in a literal and figurative sense. In a literal sense, it is equivalent to en with the meaning of “on” a surface. It also means “on the subject of”:
La carta está sobre la mesa.
The letter is on the table.
Mi amigo está leyendo un libro sobre la Guerra Civil Española.
My friend is reading a book on the Spanish Civil War.
19. Tras (after, behind)
The preposition tras is equivalent to detrás de (behind), después de (after), and en busca de (in search of):
Tras la derrota, las tropas se retiraron.
After the defeat, the troops retreated.
La policía corrió tras el ladrón.
The police ran after the thief.
20. Versus (versus)
Like its English counterpart, the preposition versus means “opposed to” or “in contrast to”:
¿Viste al Real Madrid versus Barcelona?
Did you see Real Madrid versus Barcelona?
“El Proteccionismo versus el Libre Mercado” es el título del nuevo libro.
"Protectionism versus Free Market" is the title of the new book.
21. Vía (via)
The preposition vía is translated as “through the means of” or “by way of”:
Viajaré a París vía Roma.
I’ll travel to Paris via Rome.
Anunciaron la noticia vía correo electrónico.
They announced the news via email.
Prepositional phrases in Spanish
Prepositional phrases are groups of words containing a preposition, which form a unity and have the same grammar role as a preposition. They are usually formed following the sequence: preposition + noun + preposition.
Among the most usual prepositional phrases in Spanish are those introduced by the propositions a, con, de, en, por.
Prepositional phrases with A
- a base de: based on, through
Llegó a la cima a base de mucho esfuerzo.
He reached the top through a lot of hard work.
- a cargo de: under the care of
La niña está a cargo de sus abuelos.
The girl is under the care of her grandparents.
- a causa de: because of, due to
El espectáculo ha sido cancelado a causa de la lluvia.
The show has been canceled due to the rain.
- a costa de: at the expense of
Logró el éxito a costa de muchos sacrificios.
She achieved success at the expense of much sacrifice.
- a falta de: in the absence of
A falta de información, decidimos ir al consulado.
In the absence of information, we decided to go to the consulate.
Prepositional phrases with CON
- con respecto a: regarding, in relation to
Con respecto a la reunión, todavía no se definió el horario.
Regarding tomorrow’s meeting, the time hasn’t been set yet.
- con excepción de: with the exception of, except
Todos viven en España con excepción de la hermana menor.
They all live in Spain except the youngest sister.
Prepositional phrases with DE
- de cara a: in view of, in the light of
Han propuesto a un nuevo candidato de cara a las próximas elecciones.
A new candidate has been proposed in view of the upcoming elections.
- de parte de: on behalf of
Quiero agradecerles de parte de todo mi equipo el apoyo recibido.
I’d like to thank you on behalf of all my team for the support we received.
- cerca de: near, close to
El pueblito está cerca de Madrid.
The village is near Madrid.
- debajo de: under, underneath
El gato está debajo de la cama.
The cat is under the bed.
Prepositional phrases with EN
- en aras de: in favor of, in the interest of
Todo esto es en aras de la verdad.
All this is in the interest of truth.
- en lugar de: instead of, rather than
¿Por qué no estudias en lugar de estar ahí sentado?
Why don't you study instead of just sitting there?
Prepositional phrases with POR
- por culpa de: for (somebody’s) fault
El accidente sucedió por culpa de un descuido del conductor.
The accident happened due to the driver's negligence.
Related articles:
- Spanish nouns
- Spanish adjectives
- Spanish verbs
- Spanish adverbs
- Definite and indefinite articles in Spanish
Practice: Spanish prepositions
References
- Real Academia Española, Nueva gramática de la lengua española, under “Inventario de preposiciones. Criterios de delimitación,” accessed August 19, 2024, https://www.rae.es/
- Real Academia Española, Nueva gramática de la lengua española, under “Usos particulares de las preposiciones: a, ante, bajo, con, contra, de, desde,” accessed August 19, 2024, https://www.rae.es/
- Real Academia Española, Nueva gramática de la lengua española, under “Las locuciones preposicionales o prepositivas,” accesses August 20, 2024, https://www.rae.es/
- Oxford Spanish Dictionary, 3rd ed. (Oxford University Press, 2003), CD ROM
- Merriam-Webster Dictionary, “versus,” accessed August 21, 2024, https://www.merriam-webster.com/
- Wordreference.com, “so,” accessed August 20, 2024, https://www.wordreference.com/
- Enciclopedia del Lenguaje, “preposiciones,” by Carla Giani, last modified December 18, 2023, https://lenguaje.com
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