Prepositions of Place in Spanish
This section explains Prepositions of Place in Spanish. Prepositions of place describe where something is located in relation to something else. They are essential for giving directions, describing locations, and understanding spatial relationships.
Foundation Tier: Common Prepositions of Place
Preposiciones básicas de lugar
| English | Spanish | Example Sentence (English) | Example Sentence (Spanish) |
|---|---|---|---|
| In | En | The book is in the bag. | El libro está en la bolsa. |
| On | Sobre / En | The phone is on the table. | El teléfono está sobre la mesa. |
| Under | Debajo de | The cat is under the chair. | El gato está debajo de la silla. |
| Behind | Detrás de | The school is behind the park. | El colegio está detrás del parque. |
| In front of | Delante de | The shop is in front of the bank. | La tienda está delante del banco. |
| Next to / Beside | Al lado de | The cinema is next to the restaurant. | El cine está al lado del restaurante. |
| Between | Entre | The post office is between the bakery and the supermarket. | La oficina de correos está entre la panadería y el supermercado. |
| Opposite | Enfrente de | The museum is opposite the library. | El museo está enfrente de la biblioteca. |
Higher Tier: Advanced Prepositions of Place
Preposiciones avanzadas de lugar
| English | Spanish | Example Sentence (English) | Example Sentence (Spanish) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Near | Cerca de | The station is near the hotel. | La estación está cerca del hotel. |
| Far from | Lejos de | My house is far from the city centre. | Mi casa está lejos del centro de la ciudad. |
| Inside | Dentro de | The keys are inside the drawer. | Las llaves están dentro del cajón. |
| Outside | Fuera de | There is a garden outside the house. | Hay un jardín fuera de la casa. |
| Around | Alrededor de | There are trees around the square. | Hay árboles alrededor de la plaza. |
| Above | Encima de | The lamp is above the table. | La lámpara está encima de la mesa. |
| Below | Debajo de | The shoes are below the bed. | Los zapatos están debajo de la cama. |
Key Tips for Using Prepositions of Place
- "En" can mean in, on, or at, depending on the context:
- Estoy en casa. (I am at home.)
- El móvil está en la mesa. (The phone is on the table.)
- "Entre" means between (two things) or among (several things):
- El parque está entre la escuela y la biblioteca. (The park is between the school and the library.)
- "Encima de" and "sobre" both mean on top of, but sobre can also mean about:
- El libro está encima de la mesa. (The book is on top of the table.)
- Un libro sobre historia. (A book about history.)
- "Delante de" (in front of) vs "detrás de" (behind):
- El coche está delante del garaje. (The car is in front of the garage.)
- El perro está detrás del sofá. (The dog is behind the sofa.)
These revision notes will help you with revising Spanish prepositions of place for both foundation and higher tiers.
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