Prepositional Phrases

Prepositional phrases show how things relate in time, place, manner, reason, and more. They usually consist of a preposition followed by a noun or pronoun, and sometimes an article or modifier.

Common Prepositions

Common prepositions include short words like a, de, en, con, para, and por. Each one sets a specific kind of relationship between elements in a sentence.

Spanish Word(s)	English Word(s)
a	to, at
de	of, from
en	in, on
con	with
para	for, in order to
por	for, because of

Spanish Example	English Translation
🏠 El libro está encima de la mesa.	The book is on the table.
🪑 La mochila está debajo de la silla.	The backpack is under the chair.
🪟 El gato está delante de la ventana.	The cat is in front of the window.
🧴 La toalla está junto a la botella de agua.	The towel is next to the water bottle.
🚪 Las llaves están dentro del cajón.	The keys are inside the drawer.
🏃 Ella salió por la puerta del parque.	She left through the park gate.
🗺️ Caminamos hacia la plaza central.	We walked toward the central square.
🌳 Se sentaron debajo del árbol grande.	They sat under the big tree.
🛋️ El libro cayó detrás del sofá.	The book fell behind the couch.
🚲 El correo llegó con la bicicleta del mensajero.	The mail arrived with the messenger’s bike.

Prepositional Phrases

Prepositional phrases begin with a preposition and include the noun or pronoun that completes the idea. They can function as adjectives or adverbs to give extra detail.

Spanish Example	English Translation
🧑‍🎓 Hablé con el profesor después de clase.	I spoke with the teacher after class.
🍎 Compré frutas para la merienda.	I bought fruit for the snack.
🚌 Salimos antes de que llegara el autobús.	We left before the bus arrived.
🌧️ Llegaron durante la lluvia.	They arrived during the rain.
🏬 Trabaja en la tienda del centro.	He works at the downtown store.
🗣️ Aprendí mucho hablando con amigos.	I learned a lot by talking with friends.
📝 Estudio con libros y apuntes.	I study with books and notes.
🚶 Vamos caminando por el parque.	We are walking through the park.
🎉 Celebraron el cumpleaños con una fiesta.	They celebrated the birthday with a party.
🧭 Viajan hacia nuevas aventuras.	They travel toward new adventures.

Examples

Spanish Example	English Translation
🥪 Comí un sándwich en el parque.	I ate a sandwich in the park.
📖 Leí un libro bajo el árbol.	I read a book under the tree.
🗨️ Hablé con amigos junto a la fuente.	I talked with friends next to the fountain.
🎨 Pintaron mural delante de la biblioteca.	They painted a mural in front of the library.
🛍️ Caminé por las calles del centro.	I walked through the downtown streets.

Prepositional Pronouns

Prepositional pronouns are special forms used after prepositions to refer back to people or things. In Spanish, they sometimes differ from subject pronouns.

English Word(s)	Subject Pronoun	Prepositional Pronoun
me	yo	mí
you (fam.)	tú	ti
him/it	él	él
her/it	ella	ella
us	nosotros	nosotros
you (pl.)	vosotros	vosotros
them (m.)	ellos	ellos
them (f.)	ellas	ellas
you (form.)	usted	usted
you (pl. form.)	ustedes	ustedes

Spanish Example	English Translation
Esto es para mí.	This is for me.
El regalo es para ti.	The gift is for you.
La nota es para él.	The note is for him.
La comida es para ella.	The food is for her.
El libro es para nosotros.	The book is for us.
Las entradas son para vosotros.	The tickets are for you (plural).
Los mensajes son para ellos.	The messages are for them.

Special Uses of De and En

The prepositions de and en appear in many fixed expressions and sometimes trigger contractions or specific article forms. Pay attention to context to choose the right form.

Spanish Example	English Translation
La casa de mi amigo está cerca.	My friend’s house is nearby.
El color de las flores es muy bonito.	The color of the flowers is very pretty.
Viajamos en tren al pueblo.	We traveled by train to the town.
Ella llegó en bicicleta.	She arrived by bike.
Confío en ti.	I trust you.
Pensaron en la solución.	They thought about the solution.

Por vs Para

Por and para both translate as "for" in English but serve different functions: por often indicates cause, movement through, or exchange, while para signals purpose, destination, or recipient.

Spanish Example	English Translation
Caminé por el parque para llegar más rápido.	I walked through the park to arrive faster.
Gracias por ayudarme con las bolsas.	Thanks for helping me with the bags.
Este regalo es para ti.	This gift is for you.
Estudio para aprender más.	I study in order to learn more.

Summary

Prepositional phrases add important details about time, place, manner, reason, and more. Learn common prepositions and prepositional pronouns to attach clear and precise information.

Last updated: Sun Sep 14, 2025