Prepositions in Spanish Grammar
- List of important Spanish prepositions and expressions
- Exceptions
- Online exercises to improve your Spanish
- Lingolia Plus Spanish
What are prepositions?
Prepositions (las preposiciones) are short words that are generally used with nouns and pronouns. They give information about place, time, manner or reason.
In Spanish grammar, there are simple prepositions (e.g. a, con) and prepositional phrases (e.g. después de, cerca de).
Unfortunately, prepositions often can’t be translated literally. The best solution is to check a dictionary, read a lot of Spanish, and learn prepositional phrases by heart.
Learn all about Spanish prepositions with Lingolia, then practise using them in the exercises.
Example

Sergio ha trabajado hoy de 8 a 16 horas. Después del trabajo, se ha ido a casa.
Delante de la puerta, se ha dado cuenta de que se había olvidado las llaves en el trabajo. Para poder entrar dentro de la casa, ha tenido que buscar la copia de las llaves que está escondida debajo de la maceta encima de la puerta detrás de la casa.
¡Menos mal que las llaves estaban allí! Así, Sergio ha podido entrar a su casa.
List of important Spanish prepositions and expressions
In the following tables we’ve collected some information about the most important Spanish prepositions and prepositional expressions.
Prepositions of Time (temporal)
Spanish | English | usage | example |
---|---|---|---|
a | at | for times | a las 8 horasat 8 o’clock |
to | in from … to … | de lunes a juevesfrom Monday to Thursday | |
antes de | before | before a certain time | antes de las 8 horasbefore 8 o’clock |
antes del cursobefore the course | |||
de | from | in from … to … | de 8 a 9from 8 to 9 o’clock |
de lunes a juevesfrom Monday to Thursday | |||
dentro de | in | after a certain amount of time | dentro de una horain an hour |
desde | since/ as of/ starting at | starting at a certain point in time | desde 1980since 1980 |
desde las 8 horasstarting at/since 8 o’clock | |||
desde hace | for | for a certain period of time from the past until now | desde hace 2 añosfor 2 years |
después de | after | after a certain point in time | después de las 8after 8 o’clock |
después del cursoafter the course | |||
durante | during, for | to indicate a length of time | durante las vacacionesduring the holidays |
durante tres díasfor three days | |||
en |
in | months | en febreroin February |
seasons | en veranoin the summer | ||
years | en 2008in 2008 | ||
hace | ago | a certain time in the past | Hace ocho años que dejé de fumar. Eight years ago I stopped smoking. |
hasta | by, until | by/until a certain point in time | hasta febreroby/until February |
por | in, at | general time of day | por la mañana, por la nochein the morning, in the evening/at night |
sobre | around, about | general times | sobre las 10 horasaround 10 o’clock |
tras | nach | after a certain point in time | tras el inviernoafter the winter |
Prepositions of Place and Movement (Locative)
Spanish | English | usage | example |
---|---|---|---|
a | to | direction (building, city, country) - where to? | a la bibliotecato the library |
a Madridto Madrid | |||
a Brasilto Brazil | |||
a casa de | to | to a person’s house | ir a casa de mis padresto go to my parents’ house |
a la derecha de | right of … | on a side (right) | a la derecha del cocheto the right side of the car |
a la izquierda de | left of … | on a side (left) | a la izquierda del cocheto the left side of the car |
al lado de | next to | next to something | Juan está al lado del coche.Juan is standing next to the car. |
near | geographically close to something | Vivo al lado de la estación.I live near the station. | |
alrededor de | around | around something | alrededor de la casaaround the house |
a través de | through/across | to get to the other side | a través de la puertathrough the door |
a través de Españathrough/across Spain | |||
cerca de | near | geographically close to something | Vivo cerca de la estación.I live near the station. |
contra | against | against something | contra la pared against the wall |
de | from | from a place (where from?) | Vengo de Andalucía.I come from Andalusia. |
debajo de | under | directly under something | debajo de la mesaunder the table |
delante de | in front of | in front of something | delante del árbol in front of the tree |
detrás de | behind | behind something | detrás de la casabehind the house |
en | in | room, building, street, city, country (where?) | en la ciudadin the city |
book, newspaper, etc. | en el libroin the book | ||
means of transportation (position) | Me gusta leer en el tren.I like to read in the train. | ||
on | directly on something | sentarse en la silla to sit oneself down in a chair | |
en casa de | at | at a person’s house | estoy en casa de PabloI’m at Pablo’s (house) |
encima de | on | directly on something | encima de la mesaon the table |
enfrente de | across from | directly across from something | Él vive enfrente de mi casa.He lives across from me. |
entre | between | between two or more things | Andorra está entre Francia y España.Andorra is between France and Spain. |
fuera de | outside (of) | outside of something | fuera de la casaoutside (of) the house |
hacia | towards | in the direction of something (but not all the way there) | Ve hacia el norte.Go north/northwards. |
junto a | near, next to, by | next to/close to something | junto a la entradaby/next to the entrance |
lejos de | far (away) from | geographical distance | Vivo lejos de la estación.I live far (away) from the station. |
por | through, by | way, direction | Tienes que entrar por la puerta.You have to come in through/by the door. |
sobre | over, above | directly over/above something | sobre la cabezaover one’s head |
on | directly on something | sobre la mesaon the table | |
tras | behind | behind something | tras la puerta behind the door |
Other important prepositions
Spanish | English | usage | example |
---|---|---|---|
a | by, on, with | means, instrument/tool | hecho a mano, escribir a máquina made by hand, typing on a typewriter |
to travel by foot, on horseback | ir a pie, a caballoto go by foot, to ride | ||
(indirect object) | indirect recipient of an action (when it could be replaced with to + object) | Le di el libro a mi hermana.I gave my sister the book. (I gave the book to my sister.) | |
(direct object: people) | direct recipient of an action, but only when it’s a person | He visto a Clara. I saw Clara. | |
a favor de | be in favor of | be in favor of somebody/something | Estoy a favor de elegir un nuevo delegado de clase.I'm in favor of voting for a new class captain. |
with | with the wind/current | El barco está a favor del viento.The boat is sailling with the wind. | |
a pesar de | despite | despite something | a pesar del mal tiempodespite the bad weather |
con | with | with someone | con su perro, con Juanwith his dog, with Juan |
in a certain way | con alegríawith pleasure | ||
de | of | corresponds to the genitive: possession/belonging | una página del libroa page of the book |
by | the creator, author, etc. | un libro de Gabriel García Márqueza book by Gabriel García Márquez | |
from | the giver is mentioned | un regalo de Juliaa gift from Julia | |
made of | material | un jersey de algodóna jumper made of cotton | |
en | by, in the | means of transportation | en coche, en tren, en avión, en motoby/in the car, train, airplane, motorbike |
en contra de | against | refusing/declining something | estar en contra de una ideato be against an idea |
excepto/salvo | except | exception | Todos han venido excepto Hugo.Everyone except Hugo came. |
gracias a | thanks to | help of something or someone | Gracias a Carmen, terminé más rápido.Thanks to Carmen, I got done earlier. |
Gracias a mi ordenador, terminé más rápido.Thanks to my computer, I got done earlier. | |||
incluso | even | additional information or something unexpected | Incluso Hugo ha venido.Even Hugo has come. |
por | by | by means of something | por correo electrónicoby e-mail |
by | the thing or person that performed an action is named in a passive construction | El piso fue alquilado por una familia.The flat has been rented by a family. | |
per, a | distribution/allocation | tres veces por semanathree times a week/three times per week | |
for | reason for something | fue detenido por roboHe was arrested for robbery. | |
para | for, in order to | the recipient or addressee is named | un regalo para mi padrea gift for my father |
según |
according to |
referencing someone or something | según el periódicoaccording to the newspaper |
sin | without | lacking objects or people | sin mis maletaswithout my luggage |
sin mi hermanowithout my brother | |||
sobre | about, on | referring to a subject/topic | un artículo sobre la pobrezaan article on/about poverty |
Exceptions
The prepositions a and de
The prepositions a and de are combined with the article el to make one word.
preposition + article | example |
---|---|
a + el = al | yo voy al cineI’m going to the cinema |
de + el = del | el perro del vecinothe dog of the neighbour (the neighbour’s dog) |