Spanish Grammar - Prepositions - part one
Spanish grammar lesson 16: Prepositions - part one
Prepositions generally come before nouns or pronouns, forming phrases that give information about the subject, such as location, for example.
Exercise: The following is a list of several prepositions. The corresponding words in English vary depending on the context of use, but the most common translations are in color italics. Remember of course that the English words themselves often have more than one meaning. Read carefully, listen to, and repeat each sentence aloud.
a (to, at, into, toward, up to, on, by, with, upon, per) - see also "a" personal
Fuimos a la sala de urgencias a medianoche.
(We went to the emergency room at midnight.)
Cruza a la derecha al pasar la escalera.
(Turn to the right upon passing the stairway.)
Este vestido fue cosido a mano.
(This dress was sewn by hand.)
ante (before, in front of, in view of, regarding)
El abogado hizo el argumento final ante el jurado.
(The lawyer made the final argument before the jury.)
bajo (under, beneath, underneath)
El marcapasos fue colocado bajo la piel.
(The pacemaker was placed under the skin.)
con (with, to, towards, in, in spite of, despite)
Limpia la herida con agua oxigenada.
(Clean the wound with hydrogen peroxide.)
Después del reemplazo de la cadera, deberá caminar con andadera.
(After the hip replacement, you will have to walk with a walker.)
Con el uso de la pasta dental con flúor, no fue suficiente para evitar las caries.
(In spite of the use of fluoride toothpaste, it was not sufficient to avoid the cavities.)
contra (against, opposite, facing)
Por favor, ponga ese desfibrilador portátil contra la pared.
(Please put that portable defibrillator against the wall.)
de (of, from, about, on, as, in, with, at, by, than, measuring, because of, if) - see also compound prepositions
La cobija eléctrica de esa marca no es tan buena como pensé.
(The heating pad of that brand is not so good as I thought.)
Tuve que pedir prestada la silla de ruedas de mi vecino.
(I had to borrow the wheelchair from my neighbor.)
Esa enfermera es respetada de sus colegas.
(That nurse is respected by her colleagues.)
Ellos hablaban de la importancia de la psicoterapia.
(They were talking about the importance of psychotherapy.)
desde (since, from)
La paciente usa pañales de adultos desde que empezó con la enfermedad de Alzheimer.
(The patient uses adult diapers since she began with the Alzheimer's disease.)
El avión viene desde Venezuela.
(The plane is coming from Venezuela.)
durante (during, for)
El paciente debe usar medias compresivas para prevenir un embolismo pulmonar durante el período postoperatorio.
(The patient must use compression stockings to prevent a pulmonary embolism during the postoperative period.)
en (in, on, at, upon, by, into, for)
Limpie la mamila antes de ponerla en el biberón.
(Clean the nipple before putting it on the bottle.)
Los vendajes, la gasa y los guantes están en la misma gaveta.
(The bandages, the gauze, and the gloves are in the same drawer.)
Su tío está en una reunión de Alcohólicos Anónimos.
(Her uncle is at a meeting of Alcoholics Anonymous.)
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