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How to Say "underneath" in Spanish

The Spanish word forunderneathis debajoA1 level. This is a very common word in everyday Spanish.

English → SpanishA1
AdverbA1
physical location
A simple colorful storybook illustration showing a small red ball placed directly underneath a large, simple wooden box.

Examples

El gato está debajo de la mesa.

The cat is under the table.

Encontré mis llaves debajo del sofá.

I found my keys underneath the sofa.

Vive en el piso de debajo.

He lives on the floor below.

The 'debajo de' Team

When you want to say 'under something', you almost always need to add 'de' right after 'debajo'. Think of 'debajo de' as a single unit that means 'underneath'.

Forgetting 'de'

Mistake:El libro está debajo la cama.

Correction: El libro está debajo **de** la cama. You need 'de' to connect 'debajo' to the thing it's under. It's like saying 'under of the bed'.

Confusing 'debajo' and 'bajo'

Mistake:'Bajo' can sometimes mean 'under', but 'debajo de' is your best friend for physical locations. 'Bajo' is often used for more abstract ideas.

Correction: For physical objects, stick with 'debajo de' to be safe. Use 'bajo' for things like 'bajo control' (under control) or 'bajo cero' (below zero).

Related Translations

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