In this lesson we will cover the topic of learning prepositions in Spanish as well as por and para. Considering that there are so many prepositions and that they have so many rules, let’s leave “by and for” for our next lesson. We will study all the other prepositions in Spanish in this lesson while paying attention to the examples.
HAS:
– Moving: We use “A” with verbs that indicate moving and destinations. For example: Viajar/Salir/Venir/Ir (To Travel/to go out/to come/to go)
“On Friday I will travel to Montevideo to attend a conference.” (On Friday I will travel to Montevideo to attend a conference).
• Indirect Object: Introduce “to who” in a sentence.
“She washes my mother’s glasses.” (I washed the cups for my mother.)
– Direct Object: Introduces the indirect object when the “what” in a sentence is a person.
I see Juan every day. (I see Juan every day.)
– Sometimes it is synonymous with “For”. When “for” is used as a target, we can use “to”.
I came to play with the children. (I have come to play with the children)
– Distance: My house is 5 blocks from here. (my house is 5 blocks away)
INITIAL BET:
– Place: “Ante” is a preposition whose meaning is “in front of”. But we can talk about a real position, presence or where we are in relation to a situation (I can see this situation).
“He spoke in front of 1,500 people.” (He spoke in front of 1,500 people)
“Faced with a new labor incident, his boss fired him.” (Faced with a new labor incident, his boss decided to fire him)
– “First of all”: in the first place. “First of all I want to say…” (First, let me tell you…)
BASS:
– Lower Position: As with “ante” we are talking about a real position: “The pen is under the book”, or located in a situation: “I am under the orders of my boss” (I am under the orders of my boss).
FRAUD:
– Using “With” we are talking about company.
“I live with my parents” (I live with my parents), “I went to the movies with Ramón” (I went to the movies with Ramón).
– Content: “I have a box with old photos” (I have a box with old photos).
– Instrument: “He wrote it in pencil.”
– Mode: “She said it with fear”
AGAINST:
– Versus: On Sunday they are going to play a soccer match River against Boca. (On Sunday River will play against Boca in a soccer match).
– Position: We use “against” to indicate that something is against something else. For example: “The armchair is against the wall” (The sofa is against the wall)
OF:
– Possession: “Whose cat is it? The cat belongs to Melina.” (Whose cat is it? The cat belongs to Melina.)
– Origin: “Where are your students from? My students are from Oxford.” (Where are your students from? My students are from Oxford) “The table is from China.” (The table is from China)
– Material: “What material is the cup made of? The cup is made of glass” (What material is the cup made of? The cup is made of glass)
– From/to: “The class is from 9 to 1, Monday to Friday)
SINCE:
– “From” is the starting point, in Time or Space.
“I study Spanish since 1998”. (I have studied Spanish since 1998)
“I have come walking from my house.” (I have come walking from my house)
– From/To: “The class is from 9 to 1”. “From the moons to Friday”. (Class is from 9 to 1, Monday to Friday)
IN:
– Location: “The cat is in the kitchen” (The cat is in the kitchen)
– Date: With “en” we can indicate a date. “Our met in 1998” (We met in 1998).
– Future: “Completed college in 3 years.” (I will finish college in 3 years)
COME IN:
– Enter: “My house is on Cabrera street, between Medrano and Figueroa” (My house is on Cabrera street, between Medrano and Figueroa).
– Cooperation: “We did it together”. (It was done by everyone)
TOWARDS:
– Address: “If we go north we have to wear summer clothes”
UNTIL:
– “Until” is the point of arrival in space or time: “There are 10 minutes from here to my house.”
– We use “until” frequently to say: see you tomorrow/then/on Monday: “See you tomorrow/then/on Monday”.
ACCORDING TO:
– According to: “According to Freud dreams are manifestations of the unconscious.” (According to Freud dreams are manifestations of the unconscious)
– It depends: sometimes it is synonymous with “it depends”: “I don’t know if I’m going by car or bus, depending on where it is”
SIN:
– Sin: “I drink coffee without sugar” (I drink coffee without sugar)
SOBER:
– The theme: “We are talking about the friendship between man and woman.” (We are talking about friendship between man and woman)
– Position: “On”. “The plate is on the table” (The plate is on the table)
TRANS:
– Behind: We are talking about a position, or behind a situation.
“The police went after the thief.”
“After the robberies, the police decided to investigate.”
For more help on this topic, I recommend the book Practice Makes Perfect: Spanish Pronouns and Prepositions by Dorothy Richmond. To conjugate verbs in Spanish, you can try the Verbarrator software. And for a very comprehensive book on Spanish grammar in general, try John Butt’s A New Reference Grammar of Modern Spanish.