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Teaching guidelines +/- 15 minutes

Learn basic Spanish prepositions of place like en, sobre, and entre to describe locations using everyday vocabulary related to kitchenware. Understand how to indicate positions such as on, under, in front of, and next to in simple, practical sentences.
  1. Prepositions of place indicate the location of something or someone in relation to other objects or people.
Preposición (Preposition)Ejemplo (Example)
EnEl vaso está en el armario. (The glass is in the cupboard.)
Sobre La olla está sobre la mesa. (The pot is on the table.)
Encima deLos platos están encima de la mesa. (The plates are on the table.)
Debajo deLa servilleta está debajo del plato. (The napkin is under the plate.)
Delante deEl bol está delante del plato. (The bowl is in front of the plate.)
Detrás deLos tenedores están detrás de las cucharas. (The forks are behind the spoons.)
Cerca deLa sartén está cerca del armario. (The frying pan is near the cupboard.)
Lejos deLas tazas están lejos de las servilletas. (The cups are far from the napkins.)
Dentro deLa jarra está dentro del armario. (The jug is inside the cupboard.)
Al lado deEl cuchillo está al lado del tenedor. (The knife is next to the fork.)

Exceptions!

  1. The prepositions en, sobre and entre are the only ones that are not followed by another preposition.

Exercise 1: Preposiciones de lugar: "En, sobre, entre,..."

Instruction: Fill in the correct word.

Show translation Show answers

al lado del, a la derecha de las, sobre, delante de los, al lado de la, entre, cerca de la

1. Encima pero tocando:
: Pongo el mantel ... la mesa.
(I put the tablecloth on the table.)
2. Cerca, a la derecha o izquierda:
El cuchillo está ... tenedor.
(The knife is next to the fork.)
3. Cerca:
: El vaso está ... jarra.
(The glass is next to the jug.)
4. Al lado:
: El tenedor está ... cuchara.
(The fork is near the spoon.)
5. Lado derecho:
: Las ollas están ... sarténes.
(The pots are to the right of the pans.)
6. Encima pero tocando:
: El plato está ... el mantel.
(The plate is on the tablecloth.)
7. En frente:
: Las servilletas están ... platos.
(The napkins are in front of the plates.)
8. En el medio de dos cosas:
: El plato está ... el tenedor y el cuchillo.
(The plate is between the fork and the knife.)

Exercise 2: Multiple Choice

Instruction: Choose the correct solution

1. El vaso está ___ el armario.

(The glass is ___ the cupboard.)

2. La olla está ___ la mesa.

(The pot is ___ the table.)

3. La servilleta está ___ del plato.

(The napkin is ___ the plate.)

4. El bol está ___ del plato.

(The bowl is ___ the plate.)

5. Los tenedores están ___ las cucharas.

(The forks are ___ the spoons.)

6. El cuchillo está ___ del tenedor.

(The knife is ___ the fork.)

Prepositions of Place: "En, sobre, entre,..."

This lesson focuses on essential Spanish prepositions that describe location and spatial relationships. You will learn how to use prepositions such as en (in/on), sobre (on/above), encima de (on top of), debajo de (underneath), and others to indicate where objects are placed relative to each other.

Key Prepositions and Examples

  • En: Used to express "in" or "on" (e.g., "El vaso está en el armario.")
  • Sobre: Means "on" or "above" (e.g., "La olla está sobre la mesa.")
  • Entre: Means "between" and is unique in that it doesn't need another preposition after it.
  • Debajo de: Means "underneath" (e.g., "La servilleta está debajo del plato.")
  • Delante de and detrás de: Express "in front of" and "behind" respectively.
  • Cerca de and lejos de: Indicate proximity "near" or distance "far from".
  • Dentro de and al lado de: Mean "inside" and "next to" respectively.

Important Highlights

Unlike English, in Spanish, most prepositions indicating place require the following article or preposition (e.g., "del" as a contraction of "de el"), except for en, sobre, and entre. This structure affects how sentences are built and understood.

By practicing these prepositions with everyday vocabulary related to dishes and utensils, you can quickly grasp their spatial uses and improve your descriptive abilities in Spanish.

Comparative Notes

In English, prepositions like "in," "on," and "between" directly translate to Spanish as en, sobre, and entre. However, Spanish often combines prepositions with articles (e.g., del = de el) which is uncommon in English. For example, "under the plate" is "debajo del plato" in Spanish. Recognizing these differences helps clarify sentence construction.

Useful phrases to remember:
En el armario – In the cupboard
Sobre la mesa – On the table
Al lado del tenedor – Next to the fork
Entre las cucharas – Between the spoons

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