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BeginnerPrepositions
How prepositions work in Spanish, English and Chinese.
Compare languages
English has many prepositions with subtle differences. Spanish prepositions combine with articles. Chinese uses 在, 从, 到 for most spatial/temporal relations, with postpositions in some cases.
Overview
Prepositions are small words that show relationships — location, time, direction, cause, and more.
- Spanish: Fewer prepositions than English, but they combine with articles (al, del). Two tricky prepositions (por vs para) both translate as “for” but have distinct uses.
- English: Many prepositions with subtle distinctions. Phrasal verbs (give up, look after, turn on) are a major challenge. Preposition stranding is allowed in questions.
- Chinese: Uses a small set of core prepositions (在, 从, 到, 对). Postpositions (上, 下, 里, 外) often follow nouns to show location.
Spanish
Core prepositions
| Preposition | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|
| a | to, at | Voy a casa. |
| de | of, from | Soy de Madrid. |
| en | in, on, at | Estoy en casa. |
| con | with | Voy con María. |
| por | for, by, through | Paso por aquí. |
| para | for, to, in order to | Es para ti. |
| sin | without | Sin dinero. |
| sobre | on, about | Sobre la mesa. |
Contractions with articles
- a + el = al: Voy al mercado. (to the market)
- de + el = del: Vengo del mercado. (from the market)
No contraction with feminine articles:
- a la escuela (to the school)
- de la escuela (from the school)
Por vs para
| por | para | |
|---|---|---|
| Cause/reason | Lo hice por ti. (for your sake) | — |
| Duration | Estudié por dos horas. | — |
| Movement through | Pasamos por Madrid. | — |
| Medium | Hablamos por teléfono. | — |
| Purpose/goal | — | Es para estudiar. (in order to study) |
| Destination | — | Salgo para Madrid. (bound for) |
| Recipient | — | Es para ti. (intended for) |
| Deadline | — | Lo necesito para mañana. |
Preposition before infinitive
Spanish uses prepositions to link verbs:
- Voy a comer. (I’m going to eat.)
- Acabo de comer. (I just ate.)
- Empiezo a trabajar. (I start working.)
English
Core prepositions
| Preposition | Example |
|---|---|
| in | in the room |
| on | on the table |
| at | at the station |
| to | to school |
| from | from home |
| with | with friends |
| for | for you |
| by | by car |
| about | about the movie |
| through | through the door |
| across | across the street |
| between | between us |
Phrasal verbs
A phrasal verb combines a verb + particle (often a preposition) with an idiomatic meaning:
| Phrasal verb | Literal | Idiomatic | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| give up | give + up | surrender | Don’t give up. |
| look after | look + after | care for | She looks after her sister. |
| turn on | turn + on | activate | Please turn on the light. |
| run out of | run + out + of | exhaust | We ran out of milk. |
| put up with | put + up + with | tolerate | I can’t put up with this. |
Important: The particle is not optional — look after is a single unit.
Preposition stranding
English allows prepositions at the end of questions and relative clauses:
- Who are you talking to? (instead of To whom are you talking?)
- The person I spoke with. (instead of The person with whom I spoke.)
Formal/written style prefers fronting the preposition. Informal/spoken style prefers stranding.
Chinese
Core prepositions
| Preposition | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|
| 在 | at, in, on | 在家 (at home) |
| 从 | from | 从北京 (from Beijing) |
| 到 | to, until | 到北京 (to Beijing) |
| 对 | to, toward | 对我说 (speak to me) |
| 给 | for, to (give) | 给你的书 (book for you) |
| 跟 | with | 跟朋友去 (go with friends) |
Postpositions for location
Chinese uses postpositions after nouns to show location:
| Postposition | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|
| 上 | on, above | 桌子上 (on the table) |
| 下 | under, below | 椅子下 (under the chair) |
| 里 | inside | 房子里 (inside the house) |
| 外 | outside | 门外 (outside the door) |
| 前 | in front of | 学校前 (in front of school) |
| 后 | behind | 车后 (behind the car) |
| 旁边 | next to | 我旁边 (next to me) |
Pattern: 在 + location + postposition
- 书在桌子上。(The book is on the table.)
- 猫在房子里。(The cat is inside the house.)
No preposition stranding
Chinese does not strand prepositions:
- 你跟谁说话？(With whom are you speaking?)
- ❌ 谁你说话跟 (ungrammatical)
Comparison at a glance
| Feature | Spanish | English | Chinese |
|---|---|---|---|
| Number of prepositions | Moderate | Many | Few |
| Combine with articles | Yes (al, del) | No | No |
| Phrasal verbs | No | Yes (extensive) | No |
| Preposition stranding | No | Yes (informal) | No |
| Postpositions | No | No | Yes (上, 下, 里, 外) |
| Location marker | en | in/at/on | 在 + postposition |
| Direction marker | a | to | 到 |
| Origin marker | de | from | 从 |
Examples in context
At home
- ES: Estoy en casa.
- EN: I’m at home.
- ZH: 我在家。
Going to school
- ES: Voy a la escuela.
- EN: I’m going to school.
- ZH: 我去学校。
From Beijing
- ES: Vengo de Beijing.
- EN: I’m coming from Beijing.
- ZH: 我从北京来。
On the table
- ES: Sobre la mesa.
- EN: On the table.
- ZH: 在桌子上。
Common mistakes
-
English speakers learning Spanish: Confusing por and para: Es por ti (because of you) vs Es para ti (it’s for you)
-
Spanish/Chinese speakers learning English: Ignoring phrasal verbs: look the word in the dictionary → look up the word
-
English speakers learning Chinese: Omitting 在: 我北京 → 我在北京
-
English speakers learning Chinese: Using prepositions like English: 我在桌子 → 我在桌子上
Related topics
- Word Order: How prepositions fit into sentence structure
- Questions: How prepositions behave in wh-questions across languages
- Articles: How Spanish combines prepositions with articles
- Classifiers: How Chinese location markers interact with noun classifiers
Examples
Location (in)
en
Destination (to)
a
Origin (from)
de
Direction (through/across)
por / a través de
Preposition + article combination
Yes (al, del)
Preposition stranding
Not allowed
Examples
Location (in)
in / at
Destination (to)
to
Origin (from)
from
Direction (through/across)
through / across
Preposition + article combination
No
Preposition stranding
Allowed in questions/relatives
Examples
Location (in)
在...里 / 在
Destination (to)
到 / 去
Origin (from)
从
Direction (through/across)
通过 / 穿过
Preposition + article combination
No
Preposition stranding
Not applicable
Comparison at a glance
| Grammar concepts | Spanish | English | Chinese |
|---|---|---|---|
| Location (in) | en | in / at | 在...里 / 在 |
| Destination (to) | a | to | 到 / 去 |
| Origin (from) | de | from | 从 |
| Direction (through/across) | por / a través de | through / across | 通过 / 穿过 |
| Preposition + article combination | Yes (al, del) | No | No |
| Preposition stranding | Not allowed | Allowed in questions/relatives | Not applicable |
Select at least one language to view comparisons
Side-by-side comparison
| Grammar concepts | Spanish | English | Chinese |
|---|---|---|---|
| Location (in) | en | in / at | 在...里 / 在 |
| Destination (to) | a | to | 到 / 去 |
| Origin (from) | de | from | 从 |
| Direction (through/across) | por / a través de | through / across | 通过 / 穿过 |
| Preposition + article combination | Yes (al, del) | No | No |
| Preposition stranding | Not allowed | Allowed in questions/relatives | Not applicable |
Select at least one language to view comparisons
Examples in context
Location (in)
Spanish
en
English
in / at
Chinese
在...里 / 在
Destination (to)
Spanish
a
English
to
Chinese
到 / 去
Origin (from)
Spanish
de
English
from
Chinese
从
Direction (through/across)
Spanish
por / a través de
English
through / across
Chinese
通过 / 穿过
Preposition + article combination
Spanish
Yes (al, del)
English
No
Chinese
No
Preposition stranding
Spanish
Not allowed
English
Allowed in questions/relatives
Chinese
Not applicable
Select at least one language to view comparisons
Key Takeaways
Spanish: Fewer prepositions than English, but they combine with articles (al, del). Two tricky prepositions (por vs para) both translate as "for" but...
English: Many prepositions with subtle distinctions. Phrasal verbs (give up, look after, turn on) are a major challenge. Preposition stranding is all...
Chinese: Uses a small set of core prepositions (在zài, 从cóng, 到dào, 对duì). Postpositions (上shàng, 下xià, 里lǐ, 外wài) often follow nouns to show location...
Key concepts compared: Location (in), Destination (to), Origin (from).
Last updated: June 4, 2026