Prepositions are one of the most difficult things for learners of a new language to learn, no matter what language. Take a look at our thorough guide to explaining location in Spanish. We’ve included pictures to make it extra clear!
Al lado de / junto a
Next to / beside
Mi perro se sienta junto a mí en el sofá. My dog sits next to me on the sofa.
El pato está al lado de la caja. The duck is next to/beside the box.
Cerca de
Close to / near
Hay una escuela cerca de mi casa. There is a school close to my house.
El pato está cerca de la caja. The duck is close to the box.
Lejos de
Far from
El aeropuerto está lejos de la ciudad. The airport is far from the city.
El pato está lejos de la caja. The duck is far from the box.
Alrededor de
Around
Mi amiga y yo caminamos alrededor de la iglesia. My friend and I walk around the church.
El aro está alrededor del pato. The ring is around the duck.
Dentro de / en
Inside / in
El pato está dentro del cesto. The duck is inside the basket.
El pato está en el cesto. The duck is in the basket.
El tren está dentro del túnel. The train is inside the tunnel.
Fuera de
Out of / Outside
Fuera del edificio hay una para de autobús. Outside the building, there is a bus stop.
El pato está fuera del cesto. The duck is outside the basket.
Delante de / enfrente de / frente a
In front of
Hay un hombre delante de mí en la fila que huele mal. There is a man in front of me in the line who smells bad.
El pato está delante de / enfrente de la caja. The duck is in front of the box.
Frenta a / delante de (enfrente de)
Facing/ opposite
La estación está frente a mi casa. The station is opposite/facing my house.
El pato está frente al otro pato. The duck is facing the other duck.
Detrás de
Behind
Su pueblo está detrás de esa montaña. His town is behind that mountain.
El pato está detrás de de la caja. The duck is behind the box.
Entre
Between
Los Estados Unidos están entre Canadá y México. The US is between Canada and Mexico.
La caja está entre los patos. The box is between the ducks.
Debajo de / bajo
Under
No hay monstruos debajo de la cama. There are no monsters under the bed.
El pato está bajo la mesa. The duck is under the table.
Encima de / sobre / en
On top of / on / above
These prepositions can be confusing for native English speakers as they can mean both above and on top of, which are two distinct things in English. The words sobre, encima de and en can all mean on, on top of, or above.
No pongas los codos en la mesa. Don’t put your elbows on the table.
No pongas los codos sobre la mesa. Don’t put your elbows on the table.
El pato está encima de la caja. The duck is on the box / The duck is above the box.
Posted in Learn Spanish
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