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Learn essential Spanish prepositions of place like en, sobre, debajo de, delante de, and detrás de through practical examples using everyday kitchen objects to describe location precisely.
  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

sobre, dentro de la, encima de la, a la derecha de las, al lado de la, cerca de la, al lado del

1. En la parte superior:
: Los vasos están ... mesa.
(: Los vasos están encima de la mesa.)
2. Encima pero tocando:
: El plato está ... el mantel.
(: El plato está sobre el mantel.)
3. Encima pero tocando:
: Pongo el mantel ... la mesa.
(: Pongo el mantel sobre la mesa.)
4. Cerca:
: El vaso está ... jarra.
(: El vaso está al lado de la jarra.)
5. Cerca, a la derecha o izquierda:
El cuchillo está ... tenedor.
(El cuchillo está al lado del tenedor.)
6. En el interio:
: La servilleta está ... cesta.
(: La servilleta está dentro de la cesta.)
7. Lado derecho:
: Las ollas están ... sarténes.
(: Las ollas están a la derecha de las sarténes.)
8. Al lado:
: El tenedor está ... cuchara.
(: El tenedor está cerca de la cuchara.)

Exercise 2: Dialogue completion

Instruction: Complete the dialogue with 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.)

Introduction to Spanish Prepositions of Place

This lesson focuses on basic Spanish prepositions of place, essential for describing where objects or people are located in relation to others. Using familiar vocabulary related to dishes and kitchenware, the lesson introduces common prepositions like en, sobre, and entre, among others.

Key Prepositions Covered

  • en – inside or within something (El vaso está en el armario.)
  • sobre – on or above (La olla está sobre la mesa.)
  • encima de – on top of (Los platos están encima de la mesa.)
  • debajo de – under or beneath (La servilleta está debajo del plato.)
  • delante de – in front of (El bol está delante del plato.)
  • detrás de – behind (Los tenedores están detrás de las cucharas.)
  • cerca de – near or close to (La sartén está cerca del armario.)
  • lejos de – far from (Las tazas están lejos de las servilletas.)
  • dentro de – inside (La jarra está dentro del armario.)
  • al lado de – next to or beside (El cuchillo está al lado del tenedor.)

Important Highlights

Note that some prepositions, like en, sobre, and entre, are used without a following preposition, for example: El vaso está en el armario. This differs from prepositions followed by de, as in debajo de or delante de.

Useful Expressions and Their Function

These expressions help you specify the location of objects clearly and naturally in Spanish. For example:

  • El bol está delante del plato. translates as "The bowl is in front of the plate."
  • Las servilletas están debajo del plato. means "The napkins are under the plate."

Comparing Spanish and English Prepositions

Unlike English, where prepositions like "on" or "in" do not require another preposition, Spanish sometimes uses compound forms with de such as debajo de (under), which literally means "under of." It's important to recognize these forms and practice their correct use to convey location accurately.

Also, note that Spanish prepositions often agree in gender and number with the noun that follows, contracting with the definite article when appropriate, such as del (de + el) in debajo del plato.

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