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Learn how to use Spanish prepositions to indicate times of day, such as 'por la mañana' (in the morning), 'en la madrugada' (at dawn), and 'al amanecer' (at sunrise), essential for everyday conversations.
  1. Use "en" to indicate specific parts of the day. For example: "en la noche".
  2. Use "a" or "al" to indicate hours and precise moments. For example: "al atardecer".
  3. Use "por" to indicate general periods of the day. For example: "por la mañana".
  4. Use "de" or "del" to indicate a part of the day or a period of time. For example: "de noche".
PreposiciónEjemplo
PorPor la mañana (In the morning)
EnEn la madrugada (In the early hours)
A + el  AlAl amanecer (At dawn)
A + laA la medianoche (At midnight)
De + el DelDel mediodía (Of midday)
De + laDe la mañana (Of the morning)
DeDe noche (At night)
 De día (Of day)

Exercise 1: Preposiciones: indicar momentos del día

Instruction: Fill in the correct word.

Show translation Show answers

por, En, del, de, Por, a

1.
Son las dos ... la tarde.
(It is two o'clock in the afternoon.)
2.
El viernes ... la tarde hay una comida familiar.
(On Friday afternoon there is a family lunch.)
3.
Trabajo ... la mañana.
(I work in the morning.)
4.
Hoy a las diez ... la noche voy a Portugal.
(Today at ten o'clock at night I am going to Portugal.)
5.
Hoy ... la medianoche celebro mi cumpleaños.
(Tonight at midnight I celebrate my birthday.)
6.
Mañana a las cinco ... mediodía vamos a una fiesta.
(Tomorrow at five in the afternoon we are going to a party.)
7.
... la mañana del lunes organizo mi semana.
(On Monday morning I organise my week.)
8.
... la tarde visito a mi abuela.
(In the afternoon I visit my grandmother.)

Exercise 2: Multiple Choice

Instruction: Choose the correct solution

1. Trabajo ___ la mañana y estudio por la tarde.

(I work ___ in the morning and study in the afternoon.)

2. Nos encontramos ___ la noche para cenar.

(We meet ___ at night to have dinner.)

3. El tren sale ___ amanecer.

(The train leaves ___ dawn.)

4. Hago ejercicio ___ noche para relajarme.

(I exercise ___ night to relax.)

5. La reunión es ___ la medianoche.

(The meeting is ___ midnight.)

6. Siempre desayuno ___ mediodía los domingos.

(I always have breakfast ___ noon on Sundays.)

Understanding Prepositions to Indicate Times of Day in Spanish

This lesson covers essential Spanish prepositions used to express moments of the day. It is designed for beginners (A1 level) to help learners grasp how different prepositions connect with time-related expressions.

Key Prepositions for Times of Day

Prepositions are words that link nouns, pronouns, or phrases to other parts of a sentence. When discussing times of day in Spanish, several prepositions are important:

  • Por - used for general periods of the day, e.g., por la mañana (in the morning).
  • En - used to indicate specific parts of the day, e.g., en la madrugada (at dawn).
  • A / Al - used for precise moments or specific times, e.g., al amanecer (at sunrise), a la medianoche (at midnight).
  • De / Del - used to describe parts of the day or time periods, e.g., de noche (at night), del mediodía (at noon).

Examples of Prepositional Phrases

PrepositionExample
PorPor la mañana
EnEn la madrugada
A + el Al amanecer
A + laA la medianoche
De + elDel mediodía
De + laDe la mañana
DeDe noche
De día

Important Notes on Usage

Using the correct preposition helps indicate the exact or general time you're referring to:

  • Use en for specific parts of the day (e.g., en la noche).
  • Use a or al for precise hours or moments (e.g., al atardecer).
  • Use por for general time periods (e.g., por la mañana).
  • Use de or del to refer to a portion of the day (e.g., de noche).

Differences Between English and Spanish

Unlike English, where prepositions like "in," "at," and "on" all have distinct uses for time, Spanish uses a range of prepositions that vary depending on specificity and formality of the time expression. For example, in English we say "in the morning," which matches por la mañana in Spanish, but Spanish also offers "en la mañana" in some contexts, though less common than por la mañana.

Some useful phrases include:

  • Por la tarde — in the afternoon
  • Al mediodía — at noon
  • De la noche — at night
  • En la madrugada — at dawn

Spanish prepositions combine with articles in contractions such as al (a + el) and del (de + el), which are not present in English and are important to remember during learning.

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