Everything You Need to Know About Spanish Prepositions (Up to B1)
This guide gathers the core Spanish prepositions you need up to the B1 level. You’ll see what they mean, how they work in real sentences, and which verbs commonly use them. Keep in mind that Spanish prepositions are invariable (they don’t change form), and Spanish examples are shown in italics and marked not to be translated so your localized versions (French, German, etc.) keep the Spanish intact.
What Are Prepositions?
Prepositions are connectors that link words in a sentence to show relations like time, place, direction, cause, purpose, or manner. They normally appear before a noun, pronoun, or an infinitive. In Spanish they do not stand alone, and some combine with articles or pronouns in set ways (for example, a + el → al; de + el → del; and special forms like conmigo, contigo).
Why Do Spanish Learners Struggle with Prepositions?
Direct one-to-one equivalence with English often fails, verbs tend to “lock” to specific prepositions, and small words can carry multiple meanings depending on context. Progress comes from exposure (reading and listening), noticing common chunks, and memorizing high-frequency verb–preposition pairs.
Key Prepositions and Their Uses
a
- Time: La clase empieza a las ocho. → The class starts at eight.
- Direction/destination: Voy a París. → I’m going to Paris.
- “Personal a” (people as objects): Vi a Luisa. → I saw Luisa.
de
- Possession/origin/material: La casa de mis abuelos. → My grandparents’ house.
- Quantity/contents: Un vaso de leche. → A glass of milk.
en
- Location/time frame: Trabajo en Bruselas. → I work in Brussels.
- Time to complete: Termino en una hora. → I’ll finish in an hour.
con
- Company/instrument/manner: Voy con amigos. → I’m going with friends.
- Fixed pronoun forms: Ven conmigo. → Come with me.
para / por
- para (purpose, recipient, deadlines): Es para mi madre. → It’s for my mother.
- por (cause, exchange, route, approximate time): Lo hice por ti. → I did it because of/for you.
More High-Frequency Prepositions (B1)
sin
- Absence/lack: Café sin azúcar. → Coffee without sugar.
entre
- Position/participants: Entre amigos todo es más fácil. → Among friends everything is easier.
sobre
- On/about/approximately: Un libro sobre historia. → A book about history.
desde / hasta
- From/to (time or place): Abierto desde las nueve hasta las seis. → Open from nine to six.
hacia
- Direction/approximation: Caminan hacia la plaza. → They walk toward the square.
contra
- Opposition/physical contact: Está contra la idea. → He is against the idea.
ante
- Before/in the presence of: Declaró ante el juez. → He testified before the judge.
bajo
- Under/subject to: Bajo presión todo cambia. → Under pressure everything changes.
tras
- After/behind: Tras la lluvia salió el sol. → After the rain the sun came out.
según
- According to/as: Según el informe, todo va bien. → According to the report, everything is fine.
mediante
- By means of: Pagó mediante transferencia. → He paid by bank transfer.
durante
- During/throughout: Durante el verano viajamos mucho. → During the summer we travel a lot.
Common Verb–Preposition Pairs (B1 Focus)
- acostumbrarse a (get used to), atreverse a (dare to), aprender a (learn to)
- acordarse de (remember), depender de (depend on), tratar de (try to)
- confiar en (trust), pensar en (think about), fijarse en (notice)
- soñar con (dream of), contar con (rely on), casarse con (marry)
- luchar por (fight for), preocuparse por (worry about), trabajar para (work for a company/purpose)
Quick Tips
- Learn fixed chunks: store verb + preposition together, not separately.
- Notice contractions: al, del, and pronoun forms like conmigo, contigo.
- Compare por vs. para by purpose (destination, goal) vs. cause (reason, route).
- Read and listen daily: high exposure makes small words feel natural.
