Spanish Prepositions: What You Need to Know

Currently, over 580 million people across the globe speak Spanish as either their primary, secondary, or even tertiary language! 

As we are exposed to the cultures and languages of different Spanish-speaking countries like Spain, Mexico, and Colombia, it might be time to brush up on our Spanish skills. When it comes to perfecting our Spanish, we need to first go back to the basics: grammar. A fundamental part of Spanish grammar includes prepositions, such as por (for), para (for), con (with), contra (against), de (of), and a (to). 

In this article, we’re going to list the most commonly used prepositions in Spanish, and examine some of the most useful prepositions that are commonly confused by non-native Spanish speakers: de vs. a. In this master guide, you will learn:

• How to use Spanish prepositions
• Some of the most commonly used ones with a Spanish prepositions list
• The differences between de vs. a
• When to use those Spanish prepositions
• And much more

Let’s get started! First, we’ll look at a handful of the most frequently utilized prepositions.

Common Spanish Prepositions and Their Uses

While de and a are arguably the most important Spanish prepositions, they’re not the only ones. Here’s a list of most commonly used Spanish prepositions, with the English equivalent and some usage examples. While this list isn’t exhaustive, it’s a great starter pack for new learners!

Key Rules for Using Prepositions in Spanish

Grammatically, Spanish prepositions are somewhat similar in usage to their English counterparts, with a few exceptions. Let’s see how two of the most common prepositions in Spanish, de and a, are used in specific contexts. This will help you learn when to use prepositions in Spanish, which will help you become a better conversational speaker.

When to Use De in Spanish 

In Spanish, de is one of the most common prepositions. Generally speaking, this word can be translated as the following: of, from, and about. However, depending on the context, de can also be translated as with, by, or in.

In some instances, de doesn’t translate to anything in English! Let’s take a look at the three most common uses of this preposition in Spanish.

• For possession 
• For causation
• For characteristics

3 Most Common Uses of De
Let’s begin!

1. De for Possession

Possession means “to belong to” and can indicate either physical or figurative attachment to an object, place, thought, or thing. In English, we indicate possession with an apostrophe plus “s.” 

Meanwhile, in Spanish, this is almost always translated as “de” accompanied by the possessor. So, for instance, if we wanted to say “Fernando’s cat” in Spanish, it would be el gato de Fernando. 

Here are several more examples to help explain when to use de in Spanish for possession.

la chaqueta de Jessica (Jessica’s jacket)

la clase de Hailey (Hailey’s class)

Los derechos del pueblo. (The rights of the people.)

¿De quién es este lápiz? (Whose pencil is this?)

2. De for Causation 

Similar to possession, de can be used to explain a cause. In this manner, de is translated as with, of, or by and usually follows an adjective. Keep reading to see some quick examples of how to use de for causation.

Ella está cansada de escribir ensayos. (She is tired of writing essays.)

¿Por qué mi generación está tan aburrida de la universidad? (Why is my generation so bored by university?)

Estoy feliz de nuestra amistad. (I am happy with our friendship. NOTE: in this case, de indicates the reason for happiness.)

Now that you know how to use de for cause and effect let’s move on to the final common use of the preposition.

3. De for Characteristics

Last but not least, de is also used to demonstrate the relationship between an object or person and its key features (including contents or what something is made of). These traits, known as characteristics, are commonly specified as a noun or infinitive. 

In Spanish, the use of nouns as adjectives, also known as attributive nouns, is usually not possible. That’s where de comes in… take a look:

tacones de oro (heels of gold)

la famosa iglesia de Chile (the famous church of Chile)

una casa de gente rica (a house of rich people)

As you can see, de has multiple meanings. However, the three most common uses indicate possession, characteristics, and causation. Now that you understand when to use de in Spanish, it’s time to talk about the simple preposition a!

When to Use A in Spanish

A common misconception is that the Spanish preposition a is often thought to only mean “to.” In reality, this little word has so many more translations and uses! In fact, a also means on, at, from, by, in… and in some cases, may not translate to anything at all!

Similar to de, a can be part of a contraction as well. When a (at/to) and el (the) are used next to each other, they combine to become al. See if you can spot al in one of the examples below.

Instead of learning how to use “a” solely through translating directly from English to Spanish, let’s see it in action.

1. Use “A” for Motion 

Here’s a hard fact: almost every verb that suggests motion is followed by a. Meanwhile, some nouns are preceded by this preposition!

For certain other verbs, it can also be used to indicate where the action takes place. Check out these examples:

Llegamos a Chile. (We arrived in Chile.)

Se acercó a la biblioteca. (She approached the library.) 

Cayó al piso. (It fell to the floor.) Did you catch the combined a and el here?

2. Use “A” Before an Infinitive 

A is also used to connect a verb with a subsequent infinitive. Essentially, when we want to signal the start of an operation, we would use a. In this case, the preposition is NOT translated separately from the infinitive.

Furthermore, “ir a + infinitive” can be used to create the future tense. Confused? Don’t be. Here are some great examples to help you understand:

Voy a bailar. (I am going to dance. NOTE: in this case, we are using “ir a + infinitive”)

Tenemos que aceptar que las cosas no van a pasar como siempre queremos. (We have to accept that things don’t always work out the way we want them to.) 

Congratulations! Now you know when to use a in Spanish!

Learn More Spanish Grammar with Pimsleur

All in all, both de and a are extremely common prepositions that are used in almost every single Spanish conversation. One of the benefits of Pimsleur courses is that you don’t need to memorize grammar rules in order to speak well in Spanish. Pimsleur helps you to train your ear so that you’ll know immediately whether a phrase should use a or de. 

With Pimsleur’s intuitive and innovative learning method, based on our scientifically proven Pimsleur Method, you’ll quickly learn how to use Spanish prepositions, along with other key elements of acquiring the language, including pace, cadence, pronunciation, and much more. While Spanish prepositions are a relatively small part of the language, they’re critical to speak the language conversationally. And that’s the goal with our courses, whether you’re learning Castilian or Latin American Spanish. 

Ready to continue your Spanish language journey? Check out our online language learning platform that allows you to expand your horizons and speak a new language with confidence. Happy learning!