Inklingo

How to Say "at" in Spanish

The most common Spanish word foratis enuse 'en' when indicating location (where something or someone is) or when 'at' means 'on' a surface..

English → Spanish

en

/en//en/

prepositionA1general
Use 'en' when indicating location (where something or someone is) or when 'at' means 'on' a surface.
A red book resting on a wooden table, illustrating the Spanish word 'en' for location.

Examples

El libro está en la mesa.

The book is on the table.

Vivo en una ciudad grande.

I live in a big city.

Mis amigos están en el cine.

My friends are at the movies.

One Word, Three Meanings

In English, you use 'in', 'on', and 'at' for location. Spanish simplifies this by using 'en' for all three. The specific meaning comes from the situation.

Location vs. Movement

Mistake:Voy a el supermercado. Estoy a el supermercado.

Correction: Voy al supermercado. Estoy en el supermercado. Use 'a' for movement towards a place, and 'en' when you are already there.

de

/deh//de/

prepositionA1general
Use 'de' when 'at' is part of a time expression, specifically referring to a part of the day.
A simple clock face showing the time as 3:00, with a crescent moon and stars visible behind it to indicate it's nighttime.

Examples

Son las tres de la mañana.

It's three in the morning.

Tengo una cita a las diez de la mañana.

I have an appointment at ten in the morning.

Salimos a las siete de la tarde.

We leave at seven in the evening.

Using 'en' instead of 'de'

Mistake:Son las dos en la tarde.

Correction: Son las dos de la tarde. When you're stating the specific hour, use 'de' to connect it to the part of the day.

Location vs. Time

The most common mistake is using 'de' for location or 'en' for time. Remember: 'en' is for *where* something is (at the park, on the table), while 'de' is for *when* something happens as part of a time phrase (at night, at noon).

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