Home Study Spanish » Spanish Prepositions http://homestudyspanish.com Learning to Speak Spanish like a native Thu, 04 Nov 2010 10:47:24 +0000 en hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.1.3 Spanish prepositions ‘un’ & ‘una’ http://homestudyspanish.com/spanish-language/spanish-lessons/spanish-prepositions-un-una/ http://homestudyspanish.com/spanish-language/spanish-lessons/spanish-prepositions-un-una/#comments Wed, 20 Aug 2008 09:45:17 +0000 admin http://homestudyspanish.com/spanish-prepositions/spanish-prepositions-un-una/ The Spanish word for a/an is ‘un‘ for Spanish masculine nouns and una for Spanish feminine nouns.

Examples;

  • Todos deberian tener un pasaporte (masc’) = everyone should have a passport.
  • Por aquí hay sola una habitación libra = there is only one room vacant here.

Note, that Spanish does not use the equivalent of English ‘a’ when you indicate your occupation;

Examples;

  • soy periodista = I am a journalist.
  • soy enfermera =  I am a nurse.

The Spanish personal ‘a’.

Verbs such as conocer (to know), mirar (to look at), ver (to see), visitar (to visit), etc. must be followed by the preposition ‘a’ when the object which follows
is a person or the name of a person.

Compare;

  1. conoces el centro de esa ciudad?  = do you know the centre of that city?
  2. ¿conoces a Mario? = do you know Mario?
  3. miro el quadro = I’m looking at the painting.
  4. miro a Carlos = I’m looking at Carlos.
  5. vio el tren = I see thew train.
  6. vio a Juan = I see Juan.
  7. visito Barcelona = I visit Barcelona.
  8. visito a Pedro = I visit Pedro.

You must also use the personal ‘a’ when using a noun which refers to a person;

  1. conosco a su amigo = I know your friend,
  2. miro a tu madre = I know your mother.
  3. vio a mi tio = I see my uncle.
  4. visito la abuela de Vicente = I visit Vicente’s grandmother.
  5. Note; visito ‘al’ abuelo de Vicente = I visit Vicente’s grandfather.
]]> http://homestudyspanish.com/spanish-language/spanish-lessons/spanish-prepositions-un-una/feed/ 0 Spanish Prepositions ‘por’ and ‘para’ http://homestudyspanish.com/spanish-language/spanish-lessons/spanish-prepositions-por-and-para/ http://homestudyspanish.com/spanish-language/spanish-lessons/spanish-prepositions-por-and-para/#comments Wed, 20 Aug 2008 09:40:43 +0000 admin http://homestudyspanish.com/spanish-prepositions/spanish-prepositions-por-and-para/ The use of ‘por’ and ‘para’, both meaning ‘for’ or ‘by’, can be a bit confusing at first.

The difference is that;

  • ‘por’ looks back to the origins of, or the root causes of  the circumstances;
  • ‘para’ looks forward to the result, aim or destination of the  the circumstances.

Spanish ‘Por’ is used to express, or used with;

  • Cause, reason, motive (usually to say why something has happened),

    lo hizo por amor = I did it for love.

    vamos a brindar por el éxito del disco = lets toast to the success of the C.|D.

    lo han despedido del trabajo por vago =  they have given him the sack for laziness.

  • The place where the action takes place,

    pasean por la calle = they walk in the street.

    el ladrón debió de entrar por la ventana = the burglar must have entered by the window.

    por aquí no hay salida = there is no exit here.

    ¿te gusta pasear por el campo? =  do you like to walk in the countyside?

  • The means,

    lo enviaron por avión =  they send it by aeroplane.

  • The agent of the passive voice,

    la llave fue encontrada por el portero = the key was found by the doorman.

  • Substitution, equivalence,

    aquí comes por mi ocho euros = here you can eat for eight euros.

  • Distribution, proportion,

    cinco por ciento = five per cent.

  • Multiplication and measurements,

    cinco por dos son diez.

  • “In search of” with a verbs of movement (‘ir’, to go, ‘venir’, to come, etc),

    voy por pan = I go for bread.

  • With price, (precio);

    puedo comprar tres camisas por 10 euros = I can buy three shirts for 10 euros.

Spanish ‘Para’ is used to express, or used with;

  • Finality, destiny (often in the future),

    es para tu padre = it is for your father,

    compra pescado para la cena =  he is buying fish for the evening meal.

    este trasto no sirve para nada, eatá estropeado -  this piece of junk is useless, it’s broken.

    para ser ingeniero hay que estudiar mucho = to be an engineer you have to study a lot.

  • Direction of movement, (i.e. towards),

    salen para Valencia = the leave for Valencia.

    ya que vas al la cocina, llévate esto para allá = as you are going to the kitchen, take this there.

  • Deadlines,

    lo quiro para mañana = I want it for tomorrow.

  • Comparison,

    para saber hay que estudiar = to know you have to study.

  • Convenience,

    no es bueno para los pies =  it’s not good for the feet.

]]> http://homestudyspanish.com/spanish-language/spanish-lessons/spanish-prepositions-por-and-para/feed/ 0 Spanish Prepositions ‘a’ and ‘de’ http://homestudyspanish.com/spanish-language/spanish-lessons/spanish-prepositions-a-and-de/ http://homestudyspanish.com/spanish-language/spanish-lessons/spanish-prepositions-a-and-de/#comments Wed, 20 Aug 2008 09:33:41 +0000 admin http://homestudyspanish.com/spanish-prepositions/spanish-prepositions-a-and-de/ The Spanish prepositions — ‘a’ (to), and ‘de’ (of), when used in conjunction with a Spanish noun, precede the articles (el),(masc’) and (la) (fem’).

When these Spanish prepositions come before the masculine (el), ( singular), there is a contraction and fusion of these two.

Therefore; (a + el)  =  al, and (de + el)  =  del.

Single, masculine examples are;

  1. El cine (the cinema),

    Voy al cine =  I’m going to the cinema. —- (a+el=al).

  2. El bosque (the forest),

    Las fruitas del bosque =  The fruits of the forest. —-(de+el=del).

The plural of the masculine combination of (de) and (los) does not have this fusion, so:

  1. Voy a los cines  =  I’m going to the cinemas.
  2. Las frutas de los bosques = the fruits of the forests.

When these Spanish prepositions, ‘a’ (to), and ‘de’ (of) come before the Spanish feminine (la) – there are no radical changes.

i.e. there are no such changes, or fusion in the feminine forms.

Singular, feminine examples are;

  1. La ciudad (the city),

    El centro (de la ciudad) =  The centre of the city.

  2. La calle (the street),

    El nombre de la calle =  The name of the street.

The plural of the feminine combination of (de) and (las) has no fusion:

  1. El centro de las ciudades =  The centre of the cities.
  2. El nombre de las calles =  The name of the streets.

The Spanish preposition (‘a’),  can be used also to express;

  • Destination, la (destinación);  este tren no va a Sevilla = this train does not go to Seville.
  • The time, (la hora);  llega a las 10 = it arrives at 10.
  • The objective, (objetivo);  voy a ver el partido de tenis = I’m going to see the game of tennis.
  • The price, date, distance, temperature; ( el precio, la fecha, la distancia, la temperatura)

    —¿cuánto cuesta las naranjas? = how much do the oranges cost.

    — hoy estamos a 23 de septiembre = today is the 23 of September.

    — Barcelona astá a 650 km. de Madrid. = Barcelona is 650 km. from Madrid.

    — Que calor!, estamos a 40 grados, mas o menos = I’ts hot, it’s 40 degrees, more or less.

  • With the possession of, (posesión ‘de’);

    – de quién es este libro? =  who’s is this book?

    –de Beatriz = it’s Beatriz’s.

  • With materials, (materiales);

    – ella esta comprando muebles de caoba auténtica = she is buying real mahogany furniture.

  • With time and duration, (tiempo y duración);

    –llegué ayer de Cádiz = he arrived from  Cádiz yesterday.

  • To say the time of day, (momento del día al decir las horas).

    –salimos a las seis de la tarde = we leave at six in the evening.

  • For details of a description, (datos de una descripción);

    –es una mujer de ojas claros, de estatura media y de pelo rízado.

]]> http://homestudyspanish.com/spanish-language/spanish-lessons/spanish-prepositions-a-and-de/feed/ 0 Spanish Preposition ‘desde’, ‘con’, ‘en’, ‘hacia’ & ‘hasta’ http://homestudyspanish.com/spanish-language/spanish-lessons/spanish-preposition-desde-con-en-hacia-hasta/ http://homestudyspanish.com/spanish-language/spanish-lessons/spanish-preposition-desde-con-en-hacia-hasta/#comments Wed, 20 Aug 2008 08:53:18 +0000 admin http://homestudyspanish.com/spanish-prepositions/spanish-preposition-desde-con-en-hacia-hasta/ The Spanish preposition ‘desde’ can be used;
  • With time and duration, (tiempo y duración);

    –viene en tren desde Zaragoza = he/she is coming from Zaragoza by train.

    –Este quadro está desde1800 = this painting is from the 1800′s.

The Spanish preposition ‘con’ can be used ;

  • With company, (compania);

    – me quedo en casa con todos los demas – I’m staying at home with the rest.

  • With instruments, (instrumentos);

    – mi marido se afeita con cuchilla = my husband shaves with a razor blade.

  • With moods, (modo);

    –el ladron entró con mucho facilidad = the burglar entered with much ease.

The Spanish preposition ‘en’ can be used;

  • With lugar/posición, (place) and tiempo, (time);

    –está en el dormitorio, en la cama = it’s in the bedroom, in the bed.

    –nació en 1980, en primavera = he/she was born in 1980, in the spring.

  • With means of transport, (medio de transporte);

    –siempre vengo en bicicleta = I always go by bicycle.

The Spanish preposition ‘hacia’ can be used;

  • With direction and place, (dirección and lugar);

    –hay un inceandio en tu barrio y los bomberos ya van hacia allí´

    – = there is a fire in your neighbourhood and the firemen are already there.

    – cuando el presidente empezó a hablar, miles de miradas se dirigieron hacia él.

    – = when the president began to speak, thousands of admirers went towards him.

The preposition ‘hasta’ can be used;

  • With the termination of time and space, (término en el tiempo y en el espacio);

    – el agua no pueda llegar hasta allí = the water can not arrive up to here.

    – te puedo esparar hasta las 5 = I can wait until 5.

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