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Hola, language learner!
Ever found yourself staring at a sentence, completely stumped on whether to use en, de, or a? You're not alone. Spanish prepositions of place can feel like tiny words with a huge impact on meaning.
Choosing the wrong one can be the difference between saying "I'm going to the beach" and "I am the beach"—and trust us, you don't want to be the beach!
But don't worry. This guide will transform you from a preposition ponderer into a location master. We'll break down five of the most common and crucial prepositions of place: en, de, a, con, and sobre.
Let's dive in!
1. En: The Versatile Chameleon (In, On, At)
If there's one preposition that does it all, it's en. Think of it as the Swiss Army knife of Spanish prepositions. Its meaning—in, on, or at—is almost always decided by the context of the sentence.
En meaning "In"
This is for when something is inside a defined space.
- El llaveskeys están en mi bolsillo. (The keys are in my pocket.)
- Hay leche en la nevera. (There is milk in the fridge.)
En meaning "On"
This is used when something is on a surface.
- Tu ordenadorlaptop está en la mesa. (Your laptop is on the table.)
- El cuadro está en la pared. (The painting is on the wall.)
En meaning "At"
This describes a general location or a point.
- Estamos en el cinemovie theater. (We are at the movie theater.)
- Nos vemos en la fiesta. (See you at the party.)
Context is Everything!
Don't panic about en having multiple meanings. Native speakers instantly understand whether you mean 'in', 'on', or 'at' based on the other words in the sentence. You wouldn't put a table in your laptop, right? Understanding context comes with practice, like seeing words used in different places in the city.
Test your understanding of en's versatility!
How would you say 'The cat is on the bed'?
2. De: The Origin Story (From, Of)
De is all about origins and belonging. It's your go-to preposition for explaining where something or someone comes from or what something is made of.
De meaning "From"
Used to indicate the point of origin.
- Mi familia es de Colombia. (My family is from Colombia.)
- Saco el libro de la mochilabackpack. (I take the book from the backpack.)
De meaning "Of" (Possession)
It's also the primary way to show possession in Spanish. There's no apostrophe 's' ('s) like in English!
Drag the handle to compare
- Es el coche de Juan. (It's the car of Juan / It's Juan's car.)
Time to build a sentence! Unscramble these words.
Arrange the words to form a correct sentence:
3. A: The Directional Arrow (To, At)
Think of a as the preposition of movement and direction. If you're going somewhere, you'll almost certainly need a. This preposition works hand-in-hand with verbs of motion, and you can learn more in our guide to the verb ir.
A meaning "To"
Indicates movement towards a destination.
- Vamos a la playabeach mañana. (We are going to the beach tomorrow.)
- Ella viaja a Madrid. (She is traveling to Madrid.)
Important Contraction: a + el = al
When the preposition a is followed by the masculine article el, they must combine to form al. This is not optional!
- Incorrect: Voy a el parque.
- Correct: Voy al parque. (I'm going to the park.)
The most common point of confusion is a vs. en. This slider makes it clear:
Drag the handle to compare
Let's check your knowledge.
Which preposition completes the sentence: 'Mi hermano va ___ supermercado'?
4. Con: The Companion (With)
Con is one of the friendliest and most straightforward prepositions. It simply means with. You use it to talk about accompaniment or things that are together.
Con for Accompaniment
When you are with people or things.
- Hablo con mi profesorateacher. (I am talking with my teacher.)
- Fui al cine con mis amigos. (I went to the movies with my friends.)
Con for Contents
To describe what something contains.
- Quiero un café con leche, por favor. (I want a coffee with milk, please.)
- Una ensalada con pollo. (A salad with chicken.)
Practice makes perfect! Put this sentence in the correct order.
Arrange the words to form a correct sentence:
5. Sobre: On Top Of It All (On, Over, About)
Sobre is a more specific version of en when you mean "on." It translates to on top of, over, or sometimes about.
Sobre meaning "On Top Of / Over"
Use sobre to emphasize that something is physically resting on top of or flying over something else.
- Deja los papeles sobre el escritorio. (Leave the papers on top of the desk.)
- El pájarobird voló sobre el árbol. (The bird flew over the tree.)
En vs. Sobre
While you can often use en la mesa and sobre la mesa interchangeably, sobre adds a little more emphasis that it's on the surface. For something like a plane flying, sobre (over) is much more natural than en. You'd never say the plane is "in" the city when it's flying above it.
Sobre meaning "About"
Just a heads-up! You'll also see sobre used to mean "about," referring to a topic.
- Es una película sobre piratas. (It's a movie about pirates.)
Let's see if you can spot the difference.
Which sentence best translates to 'The lamp is ON the table'?
Quick Reference Chart
Here's a handy table to summarize what we've learned. Bookmark this page for a quick review!
| Preposition | Main Use (Place) | English Equivalent | Example Sentence |
|---|---|---|---|
| En | General location | In, On, At | Estoy en casa. |
| De | Origin / Source | From, Of | Soy de México. |
| A | Movement / Destination | To, At | Voy a la escuela. |
| Con | Accompaniment | With | Como con mi familia. |
| Sobre | On top of / Over | On, Over, About | El libro está sobre la cama. |
You've Got This!
Prepositions can be tricky, but by breaking them down one by one, they become much less intimidating. The key is to pay attention to context—is there movement? Is it a general location? Is something on top of something else?
Keep practicing, and soon you'll be using en, de, a, con, and sobre without a second thought. A great way to see these prepositions in action is by reading our collection of Spanish stories.
¡Sigue aprendiendo! (Keep learning!)