Prepositions (Leaving Cert Spanish): Revision Notes

Spanish prepositions

Overview

Prepositions are small but powerful words that connect nouns, pronouns, or phrases to other parts of a sentence. In Spanish, prepositions help express relationships between different elements such as location, time, direction, manner, and purpose. Understanding Spanish prepositions is essential for constructing meaningful sentences and expressing yourself clearly in everyday conversation.

Rules & Formation

Spanish prepositions work differently from English ones, and direct translations don't always apply. Each preposition can have multiple meanings depending on the context. The key is learning the most common uses and recognising patterns through practice.

Unlike English, Spanish prepositions are generally single words that remain unchanged regardless of gender or number. However, some prepositions combine with articles (al = a + el, del = de + el).

Table of key prepositions

The four most essential Spanish prepositions are a, de, en, and con. These account for the majority of prepositional usage in everyday Spanish.

Preposition: A

English equivalent	Use	Spanish example	English translation
—	to indicate the way to do something	Los sábados siempre cocinamos pasta a la mantequilla	On Saturdays we always cook buttered pasta
—	to indicate the means to do something	Estoy aprendiendo a pintar al óleo	I'm learning oil painting
to	to indicate purpose with verbs of movement	Vine aquí a pedir información	I came here to ask for information
—	to introduce a direct object that refers to people and is specific	¿Extrañas a tu hermano?	Do you miss your brother?
—	to introduce a direct object that refers to an animal we treat like a person	Voy a recoger a mi perro de la guardería	I'm picking up my dog from the pet daycare
to/for	to introduce the indirect object	Envía este mensaje al jefe	Send this message to the boss
on	to introduce the following means of transportation: on foot, on horse	Mi amiga va a la escuela a pie todos los días	My friend goes to school on foot every day
as	to indicate simultaneous actions	Al despertar escuché el ruido	As I woke up, I heard the noise
at/per	to indicate distribution of an amount	El dólar está a 22 pesos	The dollar is at 22 pesos

Preposition: DE

English equivalent	Use	Spanish example	English translation
of, 's	to indicate possession or ownership	Esta es la casa de mis padres	This is my parents' house
from	to indicate origin	Gabriela es de Chile	Gabriela is from Chile
—	to indicate matter	Me gusta la mesa de madera	I like the wooden table
about	to indicate topic	Estoy leyendo un libro de psicología	I'm reading a book about psychology
in	to indicate characteristics	El hombre de negro se parece a tu hermano	The man in black and your brother look alike
as	to describe condition or state	De grande quiero ser abogada. De niño jugaba al escondite	When I'm older, I want to be a lawyer. As a child I used to play hide-and-seek

Preposition: EN

English equivalent	Use	Spanish example	English translation
in/at	to indicate the way or manner to do something	Cuando medito, me siento en paz	When I meditate, I feel at peace
by	to introduce means of transportation	A mi madre le encanta viajar en avión	My mother loves travelling by plane
—	to indicate order with infinitives	Nosotros fuimos los últimos en llegar	We were the last ones to arrive

Preposition: CON

English equivalent	Use	Spanish example	English translation
with	to indicate company	Estoy con Pedro en el cine	I'm with Pedro at the movies
with	to indicate collaboration	Catalina está preparando un proyecto nuevo con su equipo	Catalina is preparing a new project with her team
—	to indicate a mix	¿Te gusta el arroz con leche?	Do you like rice pudding?
with	to indicate relationship	¿Te llevas bien con tus colegas?	Do you get along with your colleagues?
with	to indicate content	Perdí la carpeta con todos los artículos	I lost the folder with all the papers
with	to indicate the instrument used to do something	Firme con lapicero negro, por favour	Sign with a black pen, please
despite	to indicate concession	Con todo lo que caminé no me dolieron las piernas	Despite all the walking, my legs didn't hurt

Other important prepositions

Beyond the core four prepositions, these additional ones are frequently encountered in Spanish conversation and writing:

Preposition	English equivalent	Use	Spanish example	English translation
contra	against	to indicate opposition, fight, or battle	Los ciudadanos protestaron contra la reforma	The citizens protested against the reform
mediante	by, by means of	to indicate the means to do something	Este café se obtiene mediante un proceso de tostado	This coffee is obtained by means of a roasting process
según	according to	to introduce a point of view	Según las culturas nativas de los Andes, la Pachamama es la Madre Tierra	According to the native cultures of the Andes, Pachamama is Mother Earth
según	depending on/based on	to indicate a condition based on another event or information	Tomaré la decisión según lo que me digan	I'll make the decision depending on what they tell me
sin	without	to indicate that something or someone is missing	Me gusta el café sin azúcar	I like coffee without sugar
versus	against	to indicate opposition	El partido de hoy es Brasil versus Argentina	The match today is Brazil against Argentina
vía	via	to introduce a place you go through	Fui a San José vía Ciudad de Panamá	I went to San José via Panama City
vía	by/via	to introduce a means to do something	En el pasado, las oficinas compartían documentos vía fax	In the past, offices shared documents via fax

Example sentences

Understanding prepositions becomes clearer when you see them in practical contexts. Here are some key examples that show how these prepositions function in everyday Spanish:

Common mistakes & Tips

Learning Spanish prepositions involves avoiding several common pitfalls that English speakers frequently encounter. These mistakes stem from trying to directly translate English prepositional usage into Spanish.

Mini Practice

Test your understanding with these practical exercises that reflect common everyday situations: