Spanish Prepositional Phrases

Learn how Spanish prepositional phrases work in real sentences. This guide explains phrases with a, de, en, con, por and para, as well as phrases of place, time, purpose, cause, manner, material and possession.

Spanish prepositional phrases with a de en con por para place time purpose and examples
Spanish prepositional phrases: en la mesa, después de clase, para estudiar, con mi hermano.

Why learn prepositional phrases with MundoDele?

Prepositions are small words, but prepositional phrases are full sentence building blocks. They help you say where something is, when something happens, why something happens, who someone is with, what something is made of and what something is for.

MundoDele teaches Spanish prepositional phrases as sentence patterns, so learners understand how phrases such as en casa, por la tarde, para mí and de acuerdo con work inside complete sentences.

How to use this page

Use this page after learning the main Spanish prepositions. First understand the basic structure: preposition + noun, pronoun or infinitive. Then study common meanings such as place, time, purpose, cause, manner and possession.

Basic phrase

A prepositional phrase begins with a preposition.

en la casa
in the house

Sentence function

The phrase adds information to the sentence.

Vivo en Madrid.
I live in Madrid.

Meaning

Prepositional phrases often express place, time, purpose, cause or relationship.

Estudio para el examen.
I study for the exam.

What is a prepositional phrase in Spanish?

A prepositional phrase is a group of words that begins with a preposition. It usually contains a noun, pronoun, infinitive or noun phrase after the preposition. In Spanish, prepositional phrases often function as complements inside a sentence.

Prepositional phrase Structure Spanish sentence English meaning
en la mesa en + noun phrase El libro está en la mesa. The book is on the table.
con mi hermano con + noun phrase Voy con mi hermano. I am going with my brother.
para estudiar para + infinitive Necesito tiempo para estudiar. I need time to study.
de Madrid de + place Soy de Madrid. I am from Madrid.
por la mañana por + time phrase Trabajo por la mañana. I work in the morning.
Memory line: preposition + noun, pronoun or infinitive = prepositional phrase.

What do Spanish prepositional phrases express?

Spanish prepositional phrases can express many different meanings. Their meaning depends on the preposition, the words after it and the sentence context.

Function Spanish phrase Example sentence English meaning
Place en la ciudad Vivo en la ciudad. I live in the city.
Time después de clase Nos vemos después de clase. We will see each other after class.
Purpose para aprender Leo para aprender. I read in order to learn.
Cause por el tráfico Llegué tarde por el tráfico. I arrived late because of the traffic.
Company con mis amigos Salgo con mis amigos. I go out with my friends.
Material de madera La mesa es de madera. The table is made of wood.
Possession de Ana El libro es de Ana. The book belongs to Ana.

Prepositional phrases of place

Prepositional phrases of place answer the question “where?”. They often use en, a, de, cerca de, lejos de, delante de and detrás de.

Phrase Spanish example English meaning Use
en casa Estoy en casa. I am at home. Location.
a la escuela Voy a la escuela. I am going to school. Direction.
de la oficina Vengo de la oficina. I am coming from the office. Origin.
cerca del centro Vivo cerca del centro. I live near the centre. Relative location.
detrás de la casa El jardín está detrás de la casa. The garden is behind the house. Position.

Related page: Spanish Prepositions of Place.

Prepositional phrases of time

Prepositional phrases of time answer questions such as when, since when, until when or for how long. Common patterns include por la mañana, desde ayer, hasta el viernes and después de clase.

Phrase Spanish example English meaning Time meaning
por la mañana Estudio por la mañana. I study in the morning. Part of the day.
a las ocho La clase empieza a las ocho. The class starts at eight. Clock time.
desde ayer Estoy aquí desde ayer. I have been here since yesterday. Starting point.
hasta el lunes Me quedo hasta el lunes. I am staying until Monday. End point.
después de clase Hablamos después de clase. We talk after class. Sequence.

Related page: Spanish Prepositions of Time.

Purpose and cause: para and por

Para often introduces purpose, destination or intended use. Por often introduces cause, reason, exchange, route or general time. This contrast is very important in Spanish prepositional phrases.

Meaning Spanish phrase Example sentence English meaning
Purpose para estudiar Necesito tiempo para estudiar. I need time to study.
Intended recipient para Ana Este regalo es para Ana. This gift is for Ana.
Destination para Madrid Salimos para Madrid mañana. We leave for Madrid tomorrow.
Cause por el tráfico Llegué tarde por el tráfico. I arrived late because of the traffic.
Exchange por diez euros Lo compré por diez euros. I bought it for ten euros.
Route por el parque Caminamos por el parque. We walked through the park.

Related page: Por vs Para in Spanish.

Preposition + infinitive

In Spanish, prepositions are followed by the infinitive when the phrase contains a verb idea. This is different from English, where an -ing form is often used.

Spanish phrase Spanish example English meaning Note
antes de salir Como algo antes de salir. I eat something before leaving. de + infinitive.
después de estudiar Descanso después de estudiar. I rest after studying. de + infinitive.
para aprender Leo para aprender. I read in order to learn. Purpose.
sin mirar Contestó sin mirar. He/she answered without looking. sin + infinitive.
al llegar Al llegar, llamé a Ana. Upon arriving, I called Ana. al + infinitive expresses time.
Important: after a Spanish preposition, use the infinitive: antes de salir, para estudiar, sin mirar.

Prepositional phrases with pronouns

After prepositions, Spanish uses prepositional pronouns such as mí, ti, él, ella, nosotros and ellos. The preposition con has special forms: conmigo, contigo and consigo.

Phrase Spanish example English meaning Note
para mí Este café es para mí. This coffee is for me. Prepositional pronoun.
sin ti No puedo hacerlo sin ti. I cannot do it without you. Prepositional pronoun.
con él Voy con él. I am going with him. Third-person pronoun.
conmigo Ven conmigo. Come with me. Special form of con mí.
contigo Quiero hablar contigo. I want to speak with you. Special form of con ti.

Related page: Spanish Prepositional Pronouns.

Common complex prepositional phrases

Spanish also has longer prepositional expressions made of several words. These work as fixed phrase patterns and are very common in formal and everyday Spanish.

Phrase Meaning Spanish example English meaning
antes de before Llego antes de las ocho. I arrive before eight.
después de after Hablamos después de clase. We talk after class.
cerca de near Vivo cerca de la estación. I live near the station.
lejos de far from La casa está lejos del centro. The house is far from the centre.
delante de in front of El coche está delante de la casa. The car is in front of the house.
detrás de behind El jardín está detrás de la casa. The garden is behind the house.
a causa de because of No salimos a causa de la lluvia. We did not go out because of the rain.
de acuerdo con according to / in agreement with De acuerdo con el informe, la situación cambió. According to the report, the situation changed.

Contractions in prepositional phrases: al and del

Two Spanish prepositions contract with the masculine singular article el. A + el becomes al, and de + el becomes del.

Combination Correct form Spanish example English meaning
a + el al Voy al mercado. I am going to the market.
de + el del Vengo del trabajo. I am coming from work.
a + la a la Voy a la escuela. I am going to school.
de + la de la Vengo de la oficina. I am coming from the office.
Contraction rule: a + el = al, de + el = del. Other article combinations do not contract.

Where do prepositional phrases go in a Spanish sentence?

Prepositional phrases usually come after the word or verb they complete. They can also appear at the beginning of a sentence for emphasis, especially time and context phrases.

Position Spanish example English meaning Function
After the verb Vivo en Buenos Aires. I live in Buenos Aires. Completes the verb.
After a noun El libro de Ana está aquí. Ana’s book is here. Describes possession.
At the beginning Por la mañana, estudio español. In the morning, I study Spanish. Sets time context.
After an adjective Estoy contento con el resultado. I am happy with the result. Completes the adjective.
After a fixed expression Estoy de acuerdo con Ana. I agree with Ana. Fixed prepositional expression.

Practice exercises: Spanish prepositional phrases

Try to answer before opening the solutions. These exercises focus on phrase meaning, preposition choice and sentence position.

Exercise 1: identify the phrase

  1. El libro está en la mesa.
  2. Trabajo por la mañana.
  3. Voy con mi hermano.
  4. Necesito tiempo para estudiar.
Show answers

1. en la mesa
2. por la mañana
3. con mi hermano
4. para estudiar

Exercise 2: choose the preposition

  1. Voy ___ la escuela.
  2. Vengo ___ la oficina.
  3. Estudio ___ aprender.
  4. Llegué tarde ___ el tráfico.
Show answers

1. a
2. de
3. para
4. por

Exercise 3: translate the phrase

  1. after class
  2. with me
  3. because of the rain
  4. in order to study
Show answers

1. después de clase
2. conmigo
3. a causa de la lluvia / por la lluvia
4. para estudiar

Typical mistakes with Spanish prepositional phrases

  • Translating English prepositions directly: English “in”, “on”, “at” and “to” do not always match one Spanish preposition.
  • Forgetting contractions: say al mercado and del trabajo, not a el mercado or de el trabajo.
  • Using a conjugated verb after a preposition: say antes de salir, not antes de salgo.
  • Confusing por and para: para often expresses purpose; por often expresses cause or route.
  • Using subject pronouns after prepositions: say para mí, sin ti, con él.
  • Forgetting special forms with con: use conmigo and contigo.
  • Ignoring fixed expressions: phrases such as de acuerdo con or a causa de should be learned as complete units.
Core contrast

Por vs Para

Understand one of the most important preposition contrasts in Spanish.

Where to go next

After learning prepositional phrases, continue with the individual prepositions and the pronoun forms that appear after them.

Por vs Para
Learn the difference between cause, route, purpose, recipient and destination. Prepositional Pronouns
Practise para mí, sin ti, con él, conmigo and contigo. Spanish Prepositions
Return to the main preposition cluster.

Learn Spanish grammar with MundoDele

Prepositional phrases help you make Spanish sentences more precise. With MundoDele, you can learn how prepositions combine with nouns, pronouns and infinitives to express place, time, cause, purpose and relationship.

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FAQ: Spanish prepositional phrases

What is a prepositional phrase in Spanish?

A Spanish prepositional phrase is a group of words that begins with a preposition and adds information about place, time, cause, purpose, manner, possession or relationship.

What are examples of Spanish prepositional phrases?

Examples include en la mesa, con mi hermano, para estudiar, por la mañana, de Madrid, después de clase and a causa de la lluvia.

Can a Spanish prepositional phrase contain an infinitive?

Yes. After a preposition, Spanish uses the infinitive: antes de salir, después de estudiar, para aprender, sin mirar.

What pronouns are used after Spanish prepositions?

Spanish uses prepositional pronouns such as mí, ti, él, ella, nosotros and ellos. With con, special forms include conmigo, contigo and consigo.

What is the difference between por and para in prepositional phrases?

Para often expresses purpose, destination or intended recipient. Por often expresses cause, route, exchange, general time or reason.

What are al and del in Spanish prepositional phrases?

Al is the contraction of a + el. Del is the contraction of de + el. For example: voy al mercado, vengo del trabajo.

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