Verbs of Movement (AQA A-Level Spanish): Revision Notes
Verbs of Movement
Overview
Verbs of movement in Spanish describe actions that involve going from one place to another. When combined with specific prepositions, these verbs express different aspects of movement: where you're heading (destination), where you're coming from (origin), or how you're travelling (means of transport). Understanding how to use these verb-preposition combinations correctly will help you describe journeys, arrivals, departures and travel in Spanish with precision.
The three main prepositions used with verbs of movement are:
- a = to (indicates destination or direction)
- de = from (indicates origin or starting point)
- en = by/in (indicates means of transportation)
These verbs typically follow the pattern: verb + preposition + infinitive/noun/pronoun
This structure remains consistent across all three prepositions, making it easier to learn once you understand the basic pattern.
Verbs with preposition "a" (destination)
When you want to express movement towards a destination or goal, you combine verbs of movement with the preposition a. This construction tells us where someone or something is heading.
| Verb | Meaning | Example in Spanish | Example in English |
|---|---|---|---|
| acercarse a + infinitive/noun/pronoun | to approach, to come close to | El perro se acercó al gato. | The dog came close to the cat. |
| bajar a + infinitive/noun | to go down, to take down | Bajé al sótano y encontré un gato. | I went down to the basement and I found a cat. |
| correr a + infinitive/noun/pronoun | to run to | Corre a la puerta. | Run to the door. |
| entrar a + infinitive/noun | to enter | Entré a la oficina y esperé al doctor. | I entered the office and waited for the doctor. |
| ir a + infinitive/noun/pronoun | to go to | ¿Vamos a la pizzería esta noche? | Are we going to the pizzeria tonight? |
| irse a + infinitive/noun | to go to, to leave | Me voy a la playa este fin de semana. | I'm leaving to go to the beach this weekend. |
| llegar a + infinitive/noun/pronoun | to arrive to/at, to succeed in | Mi abuelo llegó a ser el dueño de la compañía. | My grandfather succeeded in becoming the owner of the company. |
| regresar a + infinitive/noun/pronoun | to go back to | Regresamos a casa el domingo en la mañana. | We went back home on Sunday morning. |
| salir a + infinitive/noun | to go out to | Salí a caminar un rato. | I went out to walk for a while. |
| subir a + infinitive/noun | to get on, to go up | Sube al segundo piso y trae la maleta. | Go up to the second floor and bring the suitcase. |
| venir a + infinitive/noun/pronoun | to come to | Mis amigos vinieron a ver una película. | My friends came to see a movie. |
| viajar a + infinitive/noun | to travel to | Ella viaja al campo todos los viernes. | She travels to the country every Friday. |
| volver a + infinitive/noun/pronoun | to return to, to do something again | ¿Volviste a llamar a la oficina? | Did you call the office again? |
Understanding context with "a" verbs:
In the sentence "El perro se acercó al gato", the verb acercarse combines with a to show the dog moving towards the cat as its destination.
When using llegar a, the verb can express either physical arrival at a place or figurative achievement, as in "Mi abuelo llegó a ser el dueño" (succeeded in becoming).
Note that irse a emphasises leaving one place to go to another, whilst ir a simply means going somewhere.
Verbs with preposition "de" (origin)
The preposition de is used with verbs of movement when you want to indicate where someone or something is coming from - the starting point or origin of the movement.
| Verb | Meaning | Example in Spanish | Example in English |
|---|---|---|---|
| bajar de + infinitive/noun | to go down, to get off | Bajamos del avión rápido. | We got off the plane fast. |
| correr de + infinitive/noun/pronoun | to run from | El perro corre de la casa al árbol. | The dog runs from the house to the tree. |
| entrar de + infinitive/noun | to go in from | La niña entró de una habitación a otra. | The girl came in from one room to the other. |
| ir de + infinitive/noun/pronoun | to go from | Voy de mi casa a la tuya en media hora. | I'll go from my house to yours in half an hour. |
| irse de + infinitive/noun | to go from, to leave | Nos fuimos de la fiesta a las 11. | We left the party at 11. |
| llegar de + infinitive/noun/pronoun | to arrive from | ¿Acabas de llegar del trabajo? | Did you just arrive from work? |
| regresar de + infinitive/noun/pronoun | to come back from | Mi hermano regresa de Costa Rica mañana. | My brother is coming back from Costa Rica tomorrow. |
| salir de + infinitive/noun | to get out, to leave | ¿A qué hora salió del edificio? | What time did you get out of the building? |
| subir de + infinitive/noun | to go up from | Subí del primer piso en ascensor. | I went up from the first floor in the elevator. |
| venir de + infinitive/noun/pronoun | to come from | ¿De dónde vienes? | Where do you come from? |
| viajar de + infinitive/noun | to travel from | Mi abuelo viajó de España cuando tenía 20 años. | My grandfather travelled from Spain when he was 20 years old. |
| volver de + infinitive/noun/pronoun | to return from, to come back from | Volvimos de la ceremonia en la noche. | We came back from the ceremony at night. |
Understanding context with "de" verbs:
"Bajamos del avión rápido" uses de to show the plane as the starting point from which they descended.
"¿De dónde vienes?" is a common question using venir de to ask about someone's origin or where they've just come from.
Notice how ir de and irse de both indicate leaving from somewhere, with irse de emphasising the departure aspect more strongly.
Verbs with preposition "en" (means of transportation)
When you want to specify the method of transport used for movement, you combine verbs with the preposition en. This tells us how the journey was made.
| Verb | Meaning | Example in Spanish | Example in English |
|---|---|---|---|
| bajar en + noun | to go down by, to descend by | Bajamos en bicicleta la montaña. | We descended the mountain by bike. |
| correr en + noun | to go quickly, to go fast | Los niños corrieron en sus patines. | The children ran in their roller skates. |
| entrar en + noun | to enter, to go in, to get in | Entramos en barco al país. | We entered the country by ship. |
| ir en + noun | to go by | Voy en metro a la oficina. | I go to the office by metro. |
| irse en + noun | to leave by | Me fui en bus del trabajo. | I left work by bus. |
| llegar en + noun | to arrive by | ¿Llegaste en taxi? | Did you arrive by taxi? |
| regresar en + noun | to come back by | Regresé en bus a casa. | I came back home by bus. |
| salir en + noun | to go out, to leave | Salí en moto con mi amigo. | My friend and I went out by motorcycle. |
| subir en + noun | to go up | Subí en teleférico a la cima. | I went up to the summit by cable car. |
| venir en + noun | to come by | ¿Viniste en tren? | Did you come by train? |
| viajar en + noun | to travel by | Me encanta viajar en avión. | I love to travel by plane. |
| volver en + noun | to come back, to return | Volví en tranvía a mi casa. | I went back home by tramway. |
Understanding transport with "en":
In "Voy en metro a la oficina", the preposition en indicates the metro is the means of transport used to reach the office.
"Los niños corrieron en sus patines" shows that en is used even with items worn (like skates), not just vehicles entered.
When asking "¿Viniste en tren?", you're specifically enquiring about the mode of transport rather than the route or destination.
Common mistakes and tips
Mistake 1: Confusing which preposition to use
Students often mix up when to use "a", "de" or "en". Remember:
- Use a when focusing on the destination (where you're going TO)
- Use de when focusing on the origin (where you're coming FROM)
- Use en when focusing on the method of transport (HOW you're travelling)
Memory aid: Think "A = Arrival", "DE = Departure", "EN = Engine/Transport"
Mistake 2: Forgetting the preposition entirely
Some students try to use verbs of movement without any preposition, saying things like "Voy la tienda" instead of "Voy a la tienda". Always include the appropriate preposition after these verbs.
Mistake 3: Using the wrong preposition with transport
A common error is saying "Voy por autobús" or "Voy con autobús" instead of "Voy en autobús". In Spanish, the preposition en is always used to indicate means of transport, not "por" or "con".
Mistake 4: Forgetting "al" contraction
When a is followed by the masculine definite article el, they must contract to al: "Voy al cine" (not "Voy a el cine"). Similarly, de + el contracts to del: "Vengo del trabajo" (not "Vengo de el trabajo").
Tip 1: Learn the patterns together
Many of these verbs work with all three prepositions but with different meanings. For example:
- ir a = to go to (destination)
- ir de = to go from (origin)
- ir en = to go by (transport)
Learning these patterns as a set will help you remember when to use each preposition.
Tip 2: Think about the question you're answering
- ¿Adónde vas? (Where to?) → Answer with a (destination)
- ¿De dónde vienes? (From where?) → Answer with de (origin)
- ¿Cómo viajas? (How do you travel?) → Answer with en (transport)
Tip 3: Practice with real journeys
When describing your daily routine or recent trips, practice using all three prepositions to describe different aspects of the same journey:
"Fui de mi casa al supermercado en autobús" (I went from my house to the supermarket by bus)
This single sentence demonstrates all three preposition uses in context!
Remember!
Key Points to Remember:
- Verbs of movement combine with three key prepositions: a (to/destination), de (from/origin), and en (by/means of transport)
- Always include the correct preposition after verbs of movement - they cannot stand alone when expressing direction or origin
- The preposition a + el contracts to al, and de + el contracts to del
- Many verbs can be used with all three prepositions (a/de/en), but each combination creates a different meaning focusing on destination, origin, or transport method
- When describing journeys, you can combine these patterns in one sentence to give complete information about where you went, where you came from, and how you travelled