Common Prepositions
Prepositions in Spanish are used just like in English: to indicate direction, location, time, cause, manner, and more. Here are the most common ones you’ll use every day.
a — to, at, upon
- Shows movement toward a place or person:Voy a la playa.
- Indicates time:La clase es a las tres.
- Used before direct objects that are people (the “personal a”):Veo a María.
de — of, from
- Indicates origin:Soy de México.
- Shows possession:El libro de Carlos.
- Specifies material or content:Una taza de café.
en — in, on, at
- Denotes location:Estoy en casa.
- Indicates time (less precisely thana):Llegué en la mañana.
- Used for means of transportation:Viajamos en tren.
con — with
- Indicates accompaniment:Salgo con amigos.
- Shows means or instrument:Escribo con un bolígrafo.
sin — without
- Expresses lack or absence:Café sin azúcar.
por — for, by, through
- Indicates cause or reason:Lo hice por ti.
- Shows movement through space:Caminamos por el parque.
- Used for means of communication or transportation:Viajé por avión.
- Indicates duration of time:Estudié por dos horas.
para — for, toward, in order to
- Indicates purpose or destination:Este regalo es para ti.
- Shows deadline or time in the future:Tengo que salir para las cinco.
- Used to express goals:Estudio para ser médico.
sobre — on, about
- Denotes position on something:El libro está sobre la mesa.
- Indicates topic:Hablamos sobre política.
entre — between, among
- Shows position between two or more things:Está sentado entre Ana y Juan.
hasta — until, up to
- Indicates limit in time or space:Trabajo hasta las seis.
- Shows endpoint:Llegamos hasta el final del camino.
These prepositions form the basis for expressing a wide range of ideas in Spanish. With practice, you’ll get a feel for how they work and when to use each one.
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Last updated: Thu Jul 17, 2025