Prepositions in Spanish Grammar

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What is a preposition?

Prepositions (las preposiciones) are short words that connect different elements of a sentence and give information about things like time, place, duration, etc.

The Spanish prepositions are: a, ante, bajo, cabe, con, contra, de, desde, durante, en , entre, hacia, hasta, mediante, para, por, según, sin, so, sobre, tras, versus and vía. These one-word prepositions are called simple prepositions.

Spanish also has many prepositional phrases (las locuciones preposicionales) such as después de, cerca de, etc. These are groups of words that work in the same way as a preposition.

Examples:
Pedro ha ido a la panadería.Pedro has gone to the bakery. (preposition)
Lucía vive cerca de Málaga.Lucía lives close to Málaga. (prepositional phrase)

Many Spanish prepositions have no singular translation in English. Instead, they have different translations according to the context in which they’re being used. This means that it’s best to learn Spanish prepositions via example sentences.

Read on to learn about the different prepositions in Spanish grammar then practise using them in the interactive exercises.

Example

Si trabajas desde casa, sabrás que mantener el orden es fundamental para trabajar con eficacia. A mí me gusta tener mi escritorio muy ordenado y de 8 de la mañana a 3 de la tarde tiene siempre el mismo aspecto.

En el centro de la mesa coloco el ordenador. A la derecha del ordenador, pongo mi taza de café. Sin mi café, no podría trabajar. Alrededor del ordenador se encuentran el resto de mis herramientas: cuadernos de notas, la agenda, el bolígrafo…

Además, mi escritorio mira hacia el este, para que siempre tenga luz. Después de trabajar, pongo todos los materiales dentro de los cajones de la mesa hasta el día siguiente.

Prepositions of place in Spanish

Prepositions of place (las preposiciones de lugar) give information about where.

Origin

To indicate the origin of something, we use the prepositions de and desde. Both mean from in this context, but are used in different ways:

  • de expresses the origin or roots of something
    Example:
    Mi familia paterna es de Galicia.My dad’s family is from Galicia.

de + el = del

When de is followed by the definite article el, they are contracted to make del.

Example:
La calima proviene del Sáhara.The haze comes from the Sahara.
  • desde indicates the starting point of a journey o un punto de referencia
    Example:
    Hacer el Camino de Santiago desde Roncesvalles es todo un reto.Doing the Camino de Santiago from Roncesvalles is a real challenge.
    Desde mi punto de vista, no tienes razón.From my point of view, you’re wrong.

Direction

The following prepositions indicate direction: a, hacia, para and hasta.

  • a indicates a destination (= to)
    Example:
    ¿Este tren va a Santander?Does this train go to Santander?

a + el = al

When the preposition a is followed by the definite article el, they are contracted to make al.

Example:
Mañana vamos al pueblo de mis padres.Tomorrow we’re going to my parent’s town.
  • hacia and para are used to express movement towards somewhere
    Examples:
    El barco pesquero avanza hacia mar abierto.The fishing boat is moving towards the open sea.
    Mauro ha salido para Bilbao muy temprano.Mauro left for Bilbao very early.
  • hasta indicates the final stop of a journey or route (= as far as/up to)
    Example:
    Camina hasta el semáforo y luego gira a la derecha.Walk as far as the traffic lights then turn left.

Location

The following prepositions indicate a location: en, por and vía.

  • en is used for a fixed location with both open and enclosed spaces (= in/on/at)
    Examples:
    Ahora vivo en Granada.Now I live in Granada.
    Mi gato duerme la siesta en el balcón.My cat naps on the balcony.
    Nunca llevo dinero efectivo en la cartera.I never carry cash in my wallet.
  • when used with a location, por indicates an approximate location (= around/near) or a passage (= through)
    Examples:
    Mi casa está por la plaza de la Alfalfa.My house is near the plaza de la Alfalfa.
    La línea C31 de autobuses pasa por mi barrio.The C31 bus line goes through my neighbourhood.
  • the Spanish preposition vía is used in the same way as the English preposition via.
    Example:
    El tren de Sevilla a Madrid vía Córdoba sale en 5 minutos.The train from Seville to Madrid via Córdoba leaves in five minutes.

Position

The prepositions ante, tras, bajo, sobre and entre allow us to express an object’s or person’s position in relation to something else.

ante
ante
Example:
Tienes las llaves ante tus ojos.The keys are right in front of your eyes.
tras
tras
Example:
La caja fuerte está tras ese cuadro.The safe is behind that painting.
bajo
bajo
Example:
Mi gato se esconde bajo el sofá.My cat is hiding under the couch.
sobre
sobre
Example:
Tu abrigo está sobre la cama.Your coat is on the bed.
entre
entre
Example:
La sal está entre el ajo y el orégano.The salt is between the garlic and the oregano.

Prepositional phrases of place

The prepositions above also appear as part of prepositional phrases.

Prepositional Phrase Meaning Examples
delante de
frente a
enfrente de		 in front of, facing, opposite Tus llaves están delante de tus ojos.Your keys are right in front of your eyes.
La oficina de correos está frente a la farmacia.The post office is opposite the pharmacy.
Me gustaría tener una casa enfrente del mar.I’d like to have a house facing the sea.
detrás de behind La caja fuerte está detrás de ese cuadro.The safe is behind that painting.
encima de on (top of) Tu abrigo está encima de la cama.Your coat is on the bed.
debajo de under, underneath Mi gato se ha escondido debajo del sofá.My cat has hidden under the couch.
al lado de
junto		 next to

Han abierto un restaurante libanés al lado de tu casa.They’ve opened a Lebanese restaurant next to your house.
Junto a mi oficina hacen un café buenísimo.Next to my office they do an amazing coffee.
dentro de in, inside Coge mi móvil, esta dentro de mi bolso.Take my phone, it’s in my bag.
fuera de out, outside Estás sirviendo el agua fuera del vaso.You’re pouring the water out of the glass.
en medio de in the middle of Carlos vive en una cabaña en medio del bosque.Carlos lives in a cabin in the middle of the woods.
a lo largo de along Me encanta pasear a lo largo de la playa.I love strolling along the beach.
alrededor de around Por las mañanas corro alrededor del parque.In the mornings I run around the park.
cerca de close to Estoy muy cerca de tu casa, a dos minutos.I’m really close to your house, two minutes away.
lejos de far (away) from Sevilla está bastante lejos de Barcelona.Seville is quite far from Barcelona.

Cardinal points

The Spanish cardinal points are: nortenorth, sursouth, esteeast and oestewest.

The Spanish ordinal points are: norestenorth east, surestesouth east, suroestesouth west and noroestenorth west

When used in a sentence, these points are combined with certain prepositions.

  • use al … de … to indicate one location in relation to another (= to the north/south/east/west of)
    Example:
    Me he mudado a un piso al sur del barrio del Pelícano.I’ve moved to a flat to the south of Pelïcan.
  • use en el … (de …) to express a fixed position (= in the north/south/east/west (of))
    Example:
    Me he mudado a un piso en el norte del barrio de la Alfalfa.I’ve moved to a flat in the north of the Alfalfa neighbourhood.
  • use de … a … (without articles) and desde el … hasta el … to express the start and end of a journey (= from (the) … to (the) …)
    Examples:
    El río Guadalquivir cruza Sevilla de norte a sur.The Guadalquivir river crosses Seville from north to south.
    no article
    La empresa vende sus productos en todo el país, desde el norte hasta el sur.The company sells its products all over the country, from the north to the south.
    with the definite article
  • use al … or hacia el … to indicate a direction (= to the/towards the)
    Example:
    La línea 43 de autobús va al/hacia el norte de la ciudad.The 43 bus line goes towards the north of the city.

Info

Remember that Spanish writes all the cardinal and ordinal points with a lowercase letter.

Example:
al norte
not: al Norte

Prepositions of time

Prepositions of time (las preposiciones de tiempo) give information about when.

The date: a, de, en

There are three Spanish prepositions used to say the date in various formats: a, de y en.

Days of the month

  • use a with the verb estar to say which day of the month it is
    Example:
    —¿A qué día estamos?—What day is it?
    —Estamos a 5.—It’s the 5th.

Note

We do not use a preposition when saying the date with the verb ser.

Example:
Mi cumpleaños es el 2.My birthday is the 2nd.

Days of the week

  • use a together with the verb estar to say which day of the week it is
    Example:
    —¿A qué día estamos?—What day is it?
    —Estamos a jueves.—It’s Thursday.
  • use en together with the verb caer to say which day of the week something happens
    Example:
    —¿En qué cae tu cumpleaños?—What day does your birthday fall on?
    —Ese año cae en sábado.—This year it’s on Saturday.

Months & years

  • use en with months, years and centuries
    Examples:
    Mi cumpleaños es en diciembre.My birthday is in December.
    La ONU se fundó en 1945.The UN was founded in 1945.
    La penicilina se descubrió en el siglo XX.Penicillin was discovered in the twentieth century.
  • use de before both the month and the year when saying the complete date
    Example:
    La ONU se fundó el 24 de octubre de 1945.The UN was founded on 24th October 1945.

Note

When the date appears as part of an impersonal sentence with ser, we don’t use a preposition.

Examples:
Mañana es lunes y es día 1.Tomorrow it’s Monday and it’s the 1st.
Es noviembre, queda poco para Navidad.It’s November, it’s almost Christmas.

Telling the time

To tell the time in Spanish, we use the preposition a + definite article.

Example:
Tengo clase de yoga a las 6.My yoga class is at 6 o’clock.

Note

If we tell the time using the verb ser, we don’t use a preposition.

Example:
—¿Qué hora es ahora?—What time is it now?
—Ahora son las seis y media.—Now it’s half past six.

To give an approximate time, use the preposition sobre + definite article (= around).

Example:
Saldré de trabajar sobre las 5, depende de si hay mucho trabajo o no.I’ll leave work around 5, depending on whether it’s busy or not.

→ If you want to learn more, head to our vocabulary section where you can find our page all about telling the time in Spanish.

Time of day

When telling the time in Spanish, we often add the time of day for clarity, i.e. six in the morning, four in the evening, etc.

Use de + definite article to introduce the time of day: de la mañanain the morning, del medio díain the afternoon, de la tardein the evening, de la nochein the night, de la madrugadain the early morning.

Example:
Mi padre tiene un trabajo nocturno y se acuesta a las 10 de la mañana.My dad works nights and goes to bed at 10 in the morning.

If we’re not telling the time but just referring to the time of day, we use the following prepositions:

  • de (no article): de díain the day/during the day, de nocheat night, de madrugadain the early morning
Examples:
Mi padre trabaja de noche.My dad works at night.
Ya es de noche.It’s already night.
  • por + definite article: por el díaduring the day/in the day, por la tardein the evening, por la nocheat night
Example:
Mi padre trabaja por la noche.My dad works at night.

There are two exceptions that only take the preposition a (no article): a mediodíaat midday, a medianocheat midnight

Example:
A mediodía ponen documentales de animales en la televisión.At midday they show animal documentaries on TV.

Mediodía and medianoche

Technically, mediodía and medianoche mean midday and midnight respectively.

This is always the case for medianoche, however mediodía is also synonymous with afternoon and therefore also refers to the period of time between 12 pm and 3 pm.

Duration

To talk about duration or a time period, use the following prepositions:

  • de… a… (= from … to/until …)
    Example:
    Trabajo de 8 a 15h.I work from 8 to 3.
  • desde… hasta… with the definite article (= from … to/until …)
    Example:
    Todos los martes tenemos una reunión desde las 10 hasta las 12 aproximadamente.Every Tuesday we have a meeting from 10 to 12 approximately.

Duration without an end

The preposition desde is used to show the starting point of an action that is still ongoing at the moment of speaking.

  • used alone, desde means since; it is followed by a fixed time point that shows when the action began (e.g. time, day, month, year, etc.)
    Examples:
    Llevo despierta desde las cinco.I’ve been awake since 5.
    Estoy de baja desde el martes.I’ve been off sick since Tuesday.
    Vivimos en este piso desde mayo.We’ve been living in this flat since May.
  • desde hace means for and is followed by a numerical time marker
    Ejemplo:
    Hago yoga desde hace dos años.I’ve been doing yoga for two years.
    Está lloviendo desde hace un rato.It’s been raining for a while.

Frequency

To indicate frequency, we use the preposition a + article + time e.g. x veces al día/a la semana/al mes/al año (= x times a day, a week, a month, a year).

Example:
Voy al gimnasio tres veces a la semana.I go to the gym three times a week.

We can also use the adjective cada (= every) in the same way.

Example:
Me compro ropa cada tres meses.I buy clothes every three months.
Cambio las contraseñas cada año.I change my passwords every year.

Antes de, después de & durante

The preposition durante and the prepositional phrases antes de and después de mean during, before, and after respectively.

  • antes de (= before) is followed by a noun or a verb in the infinitive
    Example:
    Antes de salir de casa, siempre me lavo los dientes.Before leaving the house, I always brush my teeth.
  • después de (= after) is also followed by a noun or a verb in the infinitive
    Example:
    Después de Navidad me voy a apuntar al gimnasio.After Christmas I’m going to join a gym.
  • durante (= during) can only be followed by a noun
    Example:
    Camila nos contó anécdotas de sus vacaciones durante el almuerzo.Camila told us stories about her holiday during lunch.

Prepositions of time for the future

The prepositional phrases a partir de and dentro de along with the preposition en allow us to show that something will happen in the future.

  • a partir de (= from/as of) can be followed by the days of the week (with a definite article), months, years, etc. and show the starting point of a future action
    Example:
    A partir de 2025 toda la plantilla trabajará desde casa.From 2025, all staff will work from home.
  • dentro de and en (= in) can be followed by a numerical time marker (e.g. una horaan hour, dos díastwo days, tres mesesthree months, un añoa year …) and indicate how much time remains until an action begins
    Examples:
    Me voy de vacaciones dentro de dos semanas.I’m going on holiday in two weeks.
    Me voy de vacaciones en dos semanas.I’m going on holiday in two weeks.

Prepositions of manner

Prepositions of manner (las preposiciones de modo) give us information about how something occurs.

  • use a for non-motorised ways of travel (e.g. a caballoon horseback, a pieon foot, a la pata cojaon one leg) as well as ways of writing and creating (e.g. a bolígrafoin pen, a lápizin pencil, a manoby hand, a ordenadoron the computer)
    Example:
    Mi tío hace retratos de mascotas a bolígrafo.My uncle does pet portraits in pen.

Common expressions with a: a ciegasblind(ly), a escondidasin secret, a propósitoon purpose/by the way, poco a pocolittle by little, paso a pasostep by step

  • use con with emotions (e.g. con alegríahappily, con calmacalmly, con ganasenthusiastically, con prisaquickly/in a rush, con tranquilidadcalmly) and tools (e.g. con las manoswith your hands, con pilaswith batteries/battery powered, con las tijeraswith scissors)
    Example:
    Corta las espinas de las rosas con las tijeras.Cut the thorns off the roses with scissors.

Common expressions with de: de juguetetoy, de mentirafake/imitation, de prontosuddenly, de repentesuddenly, de segunda manosecond hand, de verasreal/authentic, de verdadreally/truly

  • use en for motorised modes of transport or transportation with wheels (e.g. en aviónby plane, en barcoby boat, en bicicletaby bike, en cocheby car, en patineson skates, en trenby train)
    Example:
    Hemos dado un paseo precioso por el río en patines.We went for a lovely ride along the river on roller skates.

Common expressions with en: en seguidaimmediately, en serioseriously, en son de pazin peace

  • use mediante to indicate the means with which something is done (= via/by)
    Example:
    Tengo que pagar el alquiler mediante transferencia bancaria.I have to pay my rent via bank transfer.
  • use por for means of communication (e.g. por cartaby letter, por correoby post, por escritoin writing, por mensajevia message, por teléfonoby phone, por señasthrough signs)
    Example:
    Me dirán si he conseguido el trabajo por correo.They will tell me if I’ve got the job by post.

Common expressions with por: por mi cuentaon my own

  • use según to mean according to; it can be followed by a pronoun, name, or noun
    Example:
    Según el libro de instrucciones, hay que apretar el botón durante 10 segundos.According to the instruction booklet, you have to press the button for 10 seconds.
  • use sin to mean without (e.g. sin avisarwithout warning/unannounced, sin ganasreluctantly, sin manoswith no hands, sin pensarwithout thinking, sin sentidosenseless, sin vergüenzaunashamed(ly))
    Example:
    Alfredo y Fátima se plantaron en casa sin avisar.Alfredo and Fátima arrived home unannounced.

Common expressions with sin: sin ton ni sonwithout rhyme or reason, sin venir a cuentoinappropriately

Prepositional phrases of manner

We can also indicate manner using the following prepositional phrases:

  • a pesar de indicates a contrast (= despite/in spite of)
    Example:
    A pesar del mal tiempo, disfrutamos de la ruta.Despite the bad weather, we still enjoyed the trip.
  • gracias a indicates the cause or reason for something (= thanks to)
    Example:
    Gracias a tu ayuda, he conseguido aprobar el examen.Thanks to your help, I managed to pass the exam.

Common expressions with gracias a: gracias a Diosthank God

The preposition de

The preposition de has many uses. We use it to express:

  • an origin or say where something/someone comes from
    Example:
    Mis hermanas y yo somos de Asturias.My sisters and I are from Asturias.
  • belonging and possession
    Example:
    Este ordenador es de mi hermana.This computer is my sister’s.
  • the material something is made of e.g. de cristal, de madera, de papel … (= made of glass, wood, paper …)
    Example:
    Mi padre hace maquetas de trenes de madera.My dad makes model trains out of wood.
  • the subject matter, content or purpose
    Example:
    Mi libro de matemáticas está muy desgastado.My maths book is very tattered.
    El vaso de agua está a punto de caerse de la mesa.The glass of water is about to fall off the table.
    La ropa de deporte transpira mucho.Sports clothes are very breathable.
  • a reason or cause
    Example:
    Muchas personas mueren en el mundo de tuberculosis.Many people in the world die of tuberculosis.

Common expressions with de

The preposition de also appears as part of several common expressions: de juguetetoy, de mentirafake, de pieon foot, de prontosuddenly, de repentesuddenly, de segunda manosecond hand, de verasreally, de vistain view of, de verdadhonestly

Example:
Durante el concierto, estuvimos todo el rato de pie.We were on our feet for the whole concert.

The prepositions por and para

Knowing when to use por and para can be a bit of a minefield, which is why we’ve compiled an essential guide to using por and para in Spanish over in our confusing words section.

Spanish verbs that take prepositions

Sometimes prepositions have no meaning of their own, but they are used together with a verb.

Some verbs always take the same preposition whereas others vary their preposition according to their meaning.

Verbs that always take the same preposition

The following verbs always take the same preposition:

  • a: acostumbrarseget used to, aprenderlearn to, aspiraraspire to, atreversedare to, ayudarhelp to, dedicarsededicate yourself to, entrevistarinterview, esperarwait for, habituarseget used to, invitarinvite to, negarserefuse to, obligarforce to, renunciarquit, unirsejoin …
  • con: conformarsesettle for, compararto compare, casarseget married to, soñardream of, tropezartrip over …
  • de: acordarseremember, arrepentirseregret, cansarseget tired of, cuidartake care of, dependerdepend on, desconfiarmistrust, despedirsequit, enamorarsefall in love with, enterarsenotice, hartarseget tired of, olvidarseforget, presumirshow off, tener ganasfeel like …
  • en: confiartrust in, entrarget into/join in, estar interesadobe interested in, fijarsenotice, participarparticipate in, pensarthink about, tardartake a long time …
  • por: interesarsebe interested in, lucharfight for, preocuparseworry about, votarvote for …

Verbs that can take different prepositions

Some verbs take different prepositions depending on their meaning.

The table below shows common Spanish verbs that change their meaning via prepositions.

Verb Preposition Meaning Examples
agobiar a (alguien) overwhelm (someone) El profesor de química está agobiando a todos sus alumnos con los exámenes finales.The chemistry teacher is overwhelming all his students with the final exams.
agobiarse con/por (algo) be overwhelmed by (something) Luis se agobia por tonterías.Luís is overwhelmed by nonsense.
alegrarse de (+ oración) be happy (+ clause) Me he alegrado mucho de verte.I’m happy to see you.
por (algo/alguien) be happy about (something)
be happy for (someone)		 Me alegro mucho por vosotros.I’m so happy for you.
ayudar
 a (alguien/ + infinitivo) help (someone/to do something) ¿Te ayudo a hacer los deberes?Can I help you do your homework?
con (algo) help with (something) ¿Te ayudo con los deberes?Can I help you with your homework?
debatir, discutir
 con (alguien) debate/argue with (someone) La policía lleva horas discutiendo con los vecinos.The police spent hours arguing with the neighbours.
sobre (algo) discuss/debate/argue about (something) Estamos debatiendo sobre la utilidad de reciclar.We’re discussing the usefulness of recycling.
enfadarse con (alguien) get annoyed with (someone) Mi hermano se ha enfadado conmigo porque he cogido su bici.My brother got annoyed with me because I took his bike.
por (algo) be annoyed by (something) Me hermano se ha enfadado conmigo por coger sus cosas.My brother is annoyed with me for taking his things.
escribir a (alguien) write to (someone) He escrito a Nuria para que venga a la cena de cumpleaños.I’ve written to Nuria asking her to come to the birthday dinner.
sobre (algo) write about (something) Mi hermana ha escrito su tesis doctoral sobre Bob Dylan.My sister wrote her PhD thesis about Bob Dylan.
hablar, conversar con (alguien) talk to (someone) Me encanta hablar con la gente cuando viajo en tren.I love talking to people when I take the train.
de/sobre (algo) talk about (something) Contigo se puede hablar sobre cualquier cosa.With you we can talk about anything.
informar
 a (alguien) inform (someone) La agente de policía informó a los vecinos de la situación.The police officer informed the neighbours of the situation.
de/sobre (algo) inform (someone of/about something) La agente de policía informó a los vecinos de la situación.The police officer informed the neighbours of the situation.
jugar a (algo) play (something) Me encanta jugar a las cartas.I love playing cards.
con (algo/alguien) play with (something/someone) Siempre juego con mi prima a las cartas.I always play cards with my cousin.
preocupar a (alguien) worry (someone) La subida de los alquileres preocupa a las familias más humildes.The rent increase is worrying the poorer families.
preocuparse por (algo) worry about (something) Las familias más humildes se preocupan por la subida de los alquileres.The poorer families are worried about the rent increase.
quedar con (alguien) meet up with (someone) Es imposible quedar contigo, siempre tientes planes.It’s impossible to meet up with you, you always have plans.
en (+ infinitivo) arrange to (do something) Ricardo ha quedado en recogerme en la estación.Ricardo has arranged to pick me up from the station.
quedarse con (algo) keep (something) Quiero vender toda mi ropa y no quedarme con nada.I want to sell all my clothes and keep nothing.
en (lugar) stay (somewhere) En Roma nos quedamos en un hostal a las afueras.In Rome we stayed in a hostel on the outskirts.
quejarse a/ante (alguien) complain to (someone) Lo mejor es quejarse ante el encargado de la tienda.The best thing to do is to complain to the shop manager.
de (algo) complain about (something) Siempre te quejas de la comida.You always complain about the food.
reírse con (algo/alguien) laugh at (something/someone) El público no paró de reírse con los chistes de la monologuista.The audience couldn’t stop laughing at the comedian’s jokes.
de (algo/alguien) make fun of (something/someone) Fernando no me cae bien; siempre se ríe de mí.I don’t like Fernando; he always makes fun of me.
salir con (alguien) date (someone) Samuel está saliendo con Silvia, ¿lo sabías?Samuel is dating Silvia, did you know?
de (sitio) leave (a place) Ayer salí de la oficina pasadas las diez de la noche.Yesterday I left the office after ten at night.
venir a (sitio/+ infinitivo) come to (a place) Ven a casa a cenar esta noche, si te apetece.Come to ours for dinner tonight, if you want.
de (sitio/+ infinitivo) come from (a place/an activity) Venimos de Almería, ¡qué playas tan bonitas!We come from Almería, what nice beaches!