Mastering Spanish Prepositions: A Comprehensive Guide

Here is a comprehensive list of Spanish prepositions along with examples to show how each one is used in a sentence:

SIMPLE PREPOSITIONS

1. A (to, at)

• Example: Voy a la tienda. (I’m going to the store.)

2. Ante (before, in the presence of)

• Example: Debes presentarte ante el juez. (You must appear before the judge.)

3. Bajo (under)

• Example: El gato está bajo la mesa. (The cat is under the table.)

4. Cabe (archaic, near to)

• Example: Se sentó cabe la ventana. (He/She sat near the window.) (This is rarely used in modern Spanish.)

5. Con (with)

• Example: Voy al cine con mis amigos. (I’m going to the movies with my friends.)

6. Contra (against)

• Example: Está luchando contra el cáncer. (He/She is fighting against cancer.)

7. De (of, from, about)

• Example: El libro es de María. (The book belongs to Maria.)

8. Desde (from, since)

• Example: Trabajo aquí desde 2010. (I have been working here since 2010.)

9. En (in, on, at)

• Example: Vivo en Madrid. (I live in Madrid.)

10. Entre (between, among)

• Example: El banco está entre la farmacia y el supermercado. (The bank is between the pharmacy and the supermarket.)

11. Hacia (toward)

• Example: Camina hacia el parque. (Walk toward the park.)

12. Hasta (until, up to)

• Example: Voy a trabajar hasta las cinco. (I’m going to work until five.)

13. Para (for, in order to)

• Example: Este regalo es para ti. (This gift is for you.)

14. Por (for, by, because of, through)

• Example: Gracias por tu ayuda. (Thank you for your help.)

15. Según (according to)

• Example: Según el informe, todo está bien. (According to the report, everything is fine.)

16. Sin (without)

• Example: No puedo vivir sin ti. (I can’t live without you.)

17. Sobre (on, about, over)

• Example: El libro está sobre la mesa. (The book is on the table.)

18. Tras (after, behind)

• Example: Cerró la puerta tras de sí. (He/She closed the door behind him/her.)

COMPOUND PREPOSITIONS

19. A causa de (because of)

• Example: No pude ir a la fiesta a causa de la lluvia. (I couldn’t go to the party because of the rain.)

20. A pesar de (in spite of)

• Example: A pesar del frío, salimos a caminar. (In spite of the cold, we went for a walk.)

21. Al lado de (next to)

• Example: La farmacia está al lado del banco. (The pharmacy is next to the bank.)

22. Cerca de (near)

• Example: Vivo cerca de la playa. (I live near the beach.)

23. Con respecto a (with respect to)

• Example: Con respecto a tu pregunta, la respuesta es no. (With respect to your question, the answer is no.)

24. Debajo de (underneath)

• Example: El perro está debajo de la cama. (The dog is underneath the bed.)

25. Delante de (in front of)

• Example: El coche está delante de la casa. (The car is in front of the house.)

26. Dentro de (inside of)

• Example: El dinero está dentro del sobre. (The money is inside the envelope.)

27. Después de (after)

• Example: Nos vemos después de la cena. (We’ll see each other after dinner.)

28. Detrás de (behind)

• Example: El gato está detrás del sofá. (The cat is behind the sofa.)

29. Encima de (on top of)

• Example: Las llaves están encima de la mesa. (The keys are on top of the table.)

30. En frente de (in front of)

• Example: El parque está en frente de la escuela. (The park is in front of the school.)

31. En lugar de (instead of)

• Example: Tomaré agua en lugar de soda. (I’ll have water instead of soda.)

32. En medio de (in the middle of)

• Example: Estamos en medio de una reunión. (We are in the middle of a meeting.)

33. En vez de (instead of)

• Example: Fui a casa en vez de ir al cine. (I went home instead of going to the movies.)

34. Fuera de (outside of)

• Example: Está fuera de mi control. (It is outside of my control.)

35. Junto a (next to)

• Example: Se sentó junto a mí. (He/She sat next to me.)

36. Lejos de (far from)

• Example: El aeropuerto está lejos de la ciudad. (The airport is far from the city.)

37. Alrededor de (around)

• Example: Caminamos alrededor del lago. (We walked around the lake.)

38. A través de (through)

• Example: Viajamos a través del país. (We traveled through the country.)

39. En contra de (against)

• Example: Estoy en contra de esa decisión. (I am against that decision.)

40. A favor de (in favor of)

• Example: Estoy a favor de la propuesta. (I am in favor of the proposal.)

41. En cuanto a (regarding)

• Example: En cuanto a la reunión, no tengo comentarios. (Regarding the meeting, I have no comments.)

42. Con tal de que (provided that)

• Example: Puedes venir con tal de que termines tu trabajo. (You can come provided that you finish your work.)

43. En caso de que (in case of)

• Example: En caso de que llueva, llevaremos paraguas. (In case it rains, we will bring umbrellas.)

This list includes both simple and compound prepositions, along with examples of how they are used in sentences.

TIPS FOR MASTERING SPANISH PREPOSITIONS

1. Practice with Context: Prepositions are best learned through context. Try to read, listen, and practice using prepositions in full sentences rather than in isolation.

2. Use Prepositional Phrases: Familiarize yourself with common prepositional phrases, as these can be tricky and sometimes differ from their English counterparts.
3. Compare with English: While Spanish prepositions often have direct English translations, the usage can differ. Pay attention to these differences, especially with prepositions like “por” and “para.”
4. Practice Speaking: Prepositions can change the meaning of a sentence entirely, so practice speaking with native speakers to ensure you’re using them correctly.
5. Take Note of Exceptions: Like many languages, Spanish has exceptions and irregular uses. Make a habit of noting these down as you encounter them.

Mastering Spanish prepositions is key to achieving fluency and accuracy in the language.