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

Prepositions of place: what are you really saying?

All these words answer one question: Where is something?

They describe the position of an object in relation to another object:

• en – in / on / at (very general)
• sobre – on, on top of (usually touching)
• encima de – above, on top of (focus: higher position)
• debajo de – under
• delante de – in front of
• detrás de – behind
• cerca de – near
• lejos de – far from
• dentro de – inside
• al lado de – next to

Think in pairs (up/down, front/back, near/far). This helps you choose faster.

1. “En”, “sobre”, “encima de”: small but important differences

These three often cause doubt, because in English we use mainly “in” and “on”.

• en = very general: in / on / at
  • Use it when the exact position is not important.
  • La olla está en la mesa. – The pot is on the table. (general)
  • Las tazas están en el armario. – The cups are in the cupboard.
• sobre = on, on top of (usually touching the surface)
  • You see contact with the surface.
  • La servilleta está sobre la mesa. – The napkin is on the table.
• encima de = above / on top of (focus on “higher than”)
  • The object is higher than another object.
  • It can touch or not touch the other object.
  • Los vasos están encima del microondas. – The glasses are on top of / above the microwave.

Quick decision guide

• You only want to say “on the table” in a simple way → use en or sobre.
• You want to show it is really on the surface → prefer sobre.
• You want to show it is higher than something → use encima de.

2. Front, back, up, down: think in a simple “map”

Imagine the table from above. Objects can be:

• delante de – in front of
  • Closer to you than another object.
  • El bol está delante del plato. – The bowl is in front of the plate.
• detrás de – behind
  • Further from you than another object.
  • El plato está detrás del bol. – The plate is behind the bowl.
• debajo de – under
  • Lower than another object, vertically.
  • La servilleta está debajo del plato. – The napkin is under the plate.
• encima de / sobre – above / on (see previous section).

Tip: When you are not sure between delante de and detrás de, ask: “If I look from here, what do I see first?” – that is delante de.

3. Near, far, next to, inside

• cerca de – near
  • Not very precise, just “not far”.
  • La sartén está cerca del armario. – The frying pan is near the cupboard.
• lejos de – far from
  • Visible distance between two objects.
  • Las tazas están lejos de las servilletas. – The cups are far from the napkins.
• al lado de – next to, right beside
  • Very close, almost touching.
  • El cuchillo está al lado del tenedor. – The knife is next to the fork.
• dentro de – inside
  • Something is inside another thing (a container, a space).
  • La jarra está dentro del armario. – The jug is inside the cupboard.

Compare:

• El cuchillo está cerca del tenedor. – The knife is near the fork. (some distance)
• El cuchillo está al lado del tenedor. – The knife is next to the fork. (very close)

4. Form: why “del”, “al lado del”…?

After many of these prepositions you need de:

• encima de
• debajo de
• delante de
• detrás de
• cerca de
• lejos de
• dentro de
• al lado de

Then comes the article (el, la, los, las). When you have de + el, Spanish contracts it:

Common mistakes to avoid

• debajo la mesa → debajo de la mesa
• cerca la ventana → cerca de la ventana

5. Special case: “en”, “sobre”, “entre”

There is one important exception you saw in the book:

• en, sobre, entre do not need another preposition after them.

So you say:

• en + article: en el armario, en la mesa
• sobre + article: sobre la mesa
• entre + article: entre los platos, entre la jarra y la olla

Not:

• en de la mesa
• entre de los vasos

6. Mini checklist: can you say where things are?

Use this list to check yourself quickly.

1. Can you choose the correct “direction”?
   • Up/down → sobre / encima de / debajo de
   • Front/back → delante de / detrás de
   • Near/far → cerca de / lejos de / al lado de
   • Inside → dentro de
2. Do you remember where you need “de”?
   • Most forms = … de + article: detrás de la silla, cerca de la puerta.
   • Check contraction: del = de + el.
3. Do you remember the 3 “no extra preposition” words?
   • en, sobre, entre → directly with article: en la mesa, sobre el plato, entre los vasos.
4. Can you say at least one example sentence for each?
   • Try to say sentences about your own table, desk, or kitchen.

If you can do these four steps, you are ready to use prepositions of place in conversation.