#preposiciones

- Estoy aprendiendo a nadar porque quiero nadar en la playa de Lima.

- A veces te ayudo a estudiar español

- Los chicos quieren salir a bailar.

- Ella me enseña a manejar el carro.

- En México empezamos a cenar a las siete. ¿A qué hora quieres cenar?

For the most part, these are prepositional verbs, or verbs followed by a preposition

This link does a pretty good job outlining most of the major examples of verbs that require prepositions: Spanish Verbs with Prepositions - Lawless Spanish Grammar

Some basic prepositions.

a -  at, to

al -  upon

bajo -  under

con - with

contra - against

de - of, from

desde - from, since

durante - during

en - in, on, at, into

entre - between

excepto - except

hasta - until, as far as, up to

menos - except

para - for, in order to, considering

por - for, by, through, per, for the sake of, in exchange for

salvo - except, save

según - according to

sin - without

sobre - on, about, over, concerning

tras - after, behind

In English, in a lot of these cases the gerund is used, in Spanish we use the infinitive.

Para -, sin -, antes de -, de -

Aprendo español para encontrar pareja. I learn Spanish to find a partner.

Se marchó sin darme las gracias. He left without thanking me.

Antes de comer, lávate las manos. Before eating, wash your hands.

Deja de gastar el dinero. Stop wasting money.

There are some Spanish verbs which need a preposition to be correct and make sense. Examples:

No me acuerdo de cómo cocinar el pollo. I don’t remember how to cook the chicken.

Ella no se acordó de comprarle un regalo. She didn’t remember to buy him/her a gift.

De pequeña soñaba con ser astronauta. When I was little I dreamed of being an astronaut.

Spanish Verbs with Prepositions - Lawless Spanish Grammar

This is my go-to for understanding the prepositions because it has such a comprehensive list. And from there I usually research a bit more to see what they look like when you use them.

In other words, something like alegrarse takes de... but if you use it with a noun: me alegro de eso "I'm glad about that"; if you use it with a verb you need a que.... me alegro de que estés aquí "I'm glad that you're here"

The prepositional verbs always throw me off because a lot of the time the prepositions in English are different from Spanish like "dreaming of" while Spanish uses con "with"

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Unfortunately there's not really a lot of clues, it's just things you start to learn. Most of the time it's with verbs you come across a lot:

preguntar por = to ask about / to ask after [someone] disculparse por = to apologize for preocuparse por = to worry about pensar en = to think of acordarse de = to remember enamorarse (de alguien) = to fall in love (with someone) soñar con = to dream of/about acostumbrarse a = to get used to / to get accustomed to

And then some weird ones usually with a

ir + a + hacer algo = going to do something volver (a hacer algo) = to do something (again) asistir a (un lugar) = to attend/to go to a place jugar (a un juego) = to play a game

The other important ones to know are the ones related to the senses:

saber = to know [things/facts] saber a = to taste like saber a piña = to taste like pineapple saber a jamón = to taste like ham saber a cereza = to taste like cherry saber a ceniza = to taste like ash - oler* = to smell oler a = to smell like oler a humo = to smell like smoke oler a rosas = to smell like roses oler a ajo = to smell like garlic oler a brisa marina = to smell like sea breeze

saber tends to throw people off a lot because they know saber as "to know" and then saber as taste - "savor" or "flavor" [sabor] throws them off a lot because it's so different

*oler is an O=>UE verb but it's a bit weird because it needs an H in front; oler is a very odd verb that way but it's done to preserve the verb... so as an example:

Different issues at play here, but first:

The concept is known as the "personal a" which is to say that when you're using a verb with a person or animate object [including pets and sometimes even companies/corporations], the a is used to show personhood to direct objects

It's not specifically like it translates differently, just that it's standard grammar:

Veo el restaurante. = I see the restaurant. Veo la farmacia. = I see the pharmacy. Veo al hombre. = I see the man. Veo a la mujer. = I see the woman.

In the case of ayudar you need to use a with la familia because la familia is the direct object [the one who receives the action of the verb]

This will also apply to pets, and sometimes animals like dar de comer al perro is "to feed the dog"

[note: a is also used with indirect objects but it's a bit different grammatically; a here is used to show to whom for whom an action is done, not receiving the action of the verbs... so mandar(le) la carta a la abuela "to send the letter to the grandmother" has la carta as the direct object, and la abuela as the indirect object aka the recipient or destination]

The Personal A in Spanish

La A personal en español

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Second issue I have to bring up is that some verbs take particular prepositions in Spanish [a, de, en, con, or por]... it's not really about a different translation, it's just what they take and sometimes they're different than how we'd translate it in Spanish

Like soñar "to dream" takes con, soñar con algo/alguien is "to dream of/about something/someone", though in normal Spanish con is "with"

ayudar is one of the verbs that takes a so it's not always about the personal a, sometimes it's just the grammar quirk of a prepositional verb. You could use it as "to help to (do something)"

ayudar a entender = to help understand ayudar a leer = to help read ayudar a aprender = to help learn Ayudamos a los estudiantes a aprender español. = We help students learn Spanish.

You can string together a longer sentence with more a's depending on the verbs: ayudamos a los estudiantes a acostumbrarse a la vida en la universidad "we help students get used to college life"

Where ayudar takes a for los estudiantes and also for the next verb; and then acostumbrarse "to get used to / to become accustomed to" ALSO takes a as a preposition

Commonly Used Spanish Verbs with Prepositions

Grammar: Verbs with Prepositions

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a can be quite a difficult one depending on how it's used

Especially with verbs of motion or transportation, a is used for directionality: voy al hospital, vamos a la playa, viajamos a España

It's one of the most common prepositions, and it can be used in certain idiomatic expressions like a veces "sometimes" or a menudo "often"... in which case it could be used anywhere an adverb can be used.

When being used with verbs that use it as prepositions, it will go right after that verb: ayudar a entender, acostumbrarse a la vida, empiezo a comer etc

When being used with direct objects that are people, it precedes the direct object. That means it usually goes after the verb and before the object: ayudamos a la familia

With being used with indirect objects, this one is more flexible in the syntax. The a with indirect objects is attached to the object itself, so wherever the object is, the a will be. With indirect objects that means it could be at the very beginning of the phrase, or after the verb itself

A quien corresponda... = To whom it concerns... Al señor le gusta. = The man likes it. A la señora le gusta = The woman likes it. [rather than just (le) gusta "he/she likes it", a is often used to show who in particular likes something] Le mando la carta a mi madre. = I am sending the letter to my mother.

~

The issue with trying to nail down where to use a is that it depends on how it's being used. It's used in so many situations and contexts that it could really be anywhere depending on the part of speech or object it refers to

My Tag | Preposiciones

Adverbial Expressions with a

Using a

All I can really tell you is that a pretty much NEVER ends the sentence; it is practically unheard of to see a be the last word in a sentence. The only exceptions I can think of are possibly lines of poetry where the sentence is continuing in the next line, or when you see an interruption in dialogue and a - follows

For this instance, yes. It isn’t specifically a rule of a it’s the rule of this expression.

ir + a + infinitivo is how you say “going to (do something)”, so it requires the a 

Not all verbs require the preposition a, but ir a is a special verbal expression.

There is a subset of verbs that require the preposition a when you’re using it with an infinitive, or sometimes objects.

For a these are verbs like:

empezar a (hacer algo) = to star to do something

comenzar a (hacer algo) = to begin to do something

atreverse a (hacer algo) = to dare to do something

dedicarse a (hacer algo) = to dedicate/devote oneself to doing something

llegar a (hacer algo) = to wind up doing something

invitar a (hacer algo) = to invite (someone) to do something

negarse a (hacer algo) to refuse to do something

forzar a hacer algo = to force (someone) to do something

inspirar a hacer algo = to inspire (someone) to do something

enseñar a hacer algo = to teach/show (someone) how to do something

volver a hacer algo = to do something again

The ones with objects are sometimes easier to understand. Objects are just… nouns, rather than infinitives of verbs. You’d see something like:

oler a algo = to smell like something

apestar a algo = to stink/reek like something

sonar a algo = to sound like something

saber a algo = to taste like something

So you can say huele a cereza “it smells like cherry” or if it’s really unpleasant or strong apesta a cereza “it reeks of cherry”; or for taste sabe a cereza “it tastes like cherry”… 

These are just some examples though

I’m working on a big post mini-series about different prepositions in Spanish, and I was working on the one for a and there are just so many adverbial expressions that use a so I decided to make this its own post so it’s not one GIGANTIC wall of text when I finish talking about everything that the preposition a is used for.

And if you’d like to go support me and what I do over on Patreon that would be lovely and greatly appreciated!

Anyway, here are some of the most common expressions I know of that use a 

Some of these are idioms, some are compound words. Most compound words with a indicate a kind of directionality or an intention. For example la regla is “rule” or “ruler”, and arreglar is “to fix” but in that sense it’s “to set in order” or more literally “to set according to how it should be / to set according to the rule”... things like that are very common with Spanish.

And as we all know I’m garbage at proofreading my own things so bear with me on this and if you see a typo or mistake, let me know.

a veces = sometimes, at times

a ver = “let’s see”, “well then” [commonly misspelled as haber which is a totally different thing]

a simple vista = “at first sight”, “one’s first impression” e.g. a simple vista parece que... = at first glance it appears that...

a la vez = at the same time, simultaneously

a pie = on foot, walking e.g. ir a pie = to go on foot

a salvo = safe / safe and sound e.g. estar a salvo = to be unharmed

al grano = “down to business” e.g. vamos al grano = let’s get down to business / let’s not waste time

a la izquierda = to the left / on the left-hand side

a la derecha = to the right / on the right-hand side

a través de = through / going through atravesar = to go through, to traverse

(hacia) atrás = going backwards

abajo = going under / lower

arriba = going up / higher up

al tajo = to work

manos a la obra = “let’s get to work”

al dedillo = “by heart”, “from memory”

a bordo = aboard, on board

a cause de = because of

a caballo = on horseback, riding a horse

a cambio = in exchange

a nombre de (alguien) = in someone’s name, under someone’s name ¿A nombre de quíen? = “In whose name?” or “Who’s the reservation for?”; this expression is used for things that are registered or reserved for someone. This would be what someone asks if you went to a restaurant or a hotel and asked you under whose name the reservation was made. It’s also something you’d see on licences and registrations for vehicles or leases, that kind of thing. If someone asks you this at a hotel, you would be giving them your name or the name of whoever you’re booking the room for that would show up on the registry.

a mi manera = “my way” [can be used with other possessives] ej: lo hice a mi manera = I did it my way

a flor de piel = lit. “(as if) flower’s skin” This expression is used in the sense of “very noticeable” or “on the surface”. It would be how you’d translate something like… tener los sentimientos a flor de piel “to be very sensitive” or “to wear one’s heart on one’s sleeve”. You’d also see a flor de piel to be like “running high” or “in the air”, in the sense of something is easily perceived.

a toda costa = at all cost a cualquier precio = no matter the price

a ciegas = blindly, stumbling, without knowing, in the dark

a oscuras = in the dark

a espaldas (de alguien) = behind someone’s back e.g. hablar a espaldas de alguien = to talk behind someone’s back

a solas = one-on-one, in private This is said of two people alone most often. ej: Quiero hablar contigo a solas. = I want to talk to you in private. / I want to talk to you one-on-one

mano a mano = hand-to-hand

cuerpo a cuerpo = melee [fighting style; las armas de cuerpo a cuerpo would be “melee weapons” etc]

a consecuencia de = due to [sometimes you see por consiguiente or como resultado as synonyms, “therefore” and “as a result”]

al lado de alguien = on someone’s side [can be literally “beside” in the sense of direction, or it could be something like te necesito a mi lado “I need you on my side” or “I need you in my corner” in the sense of support]

a corto plazo = short-term a largo plazo = long-term

a domicilio = delivery e.g. clases a domicilio “home schooling”, comida a domicilio “take-out food”, entrega a domicilio “delivered to your house”, médico/a a domicilio “a doctor who makes house calls”

al aire libre = in the open air / open-air al fresco = outside

afuera = (going) outside / out

a fin de = for the purposes of, in order to

a diferencia de (algo/alguien) = unlike ej: a diferencia de tu hermana, eres… = unlike your sister, you’re…

a distancia = from a distance, at a distance

al cabo = to the end / finishing, in summation

a secas = only, just [in some contexts a secas means “in a blunt way” or “without mincing words”]

a estas alturas = at this point, at this juncture ej: A estas alturas, no tenemos otra opción. = At this point we have no other choice.

a duras penas = hardly, barely apenas = hardly, barely

a escondidas = in secret

a tientas = fumbling, going by feel or touch

a diestro y siniestro = all over the place [lit. “to the right and left” where diestro/a “able/dexterous” is the old word for “right” derecho/a, and siniestro/a “sinister” is the old word for “left” izquierdo/a]

a la deriva = adrift, drifting

a gatas = on all fours

a cuestas = on someone’s back / piggyback

al principio, al inicio = at the beginning al final, al fin = at the end

a medias = halfway, partway / half-assed [in context this means “done halfway”, or in an accusatory way it’s saying that someone “half-assed” something so it depends on proper context... you can see no hace las cosas a medias as in “he/she doesn’t do things halfway” meaning “he/she gives their all”]

(mantener algo/alguien) a raya = (to keep something/someone) in line, at bay

a la fuerza = by force

a menos que = unless [this takes subjunctive]

a menudo = often

a partir de = starting from ej: a partir de hoy… = from today on(wards)…

a propósito = on purpose, deliberately adrede = on purpose [sort of the same, just a little more accusatory]

a la larga = “in the long run”

a la ligera = “lightly” e.g. tomar(se) algo a la ligera = to take something lightly

a mano = by hand, manually / on hand, nearby

a lo mejor = maybe, perhaps

a medida = tailored, custom-made

a pesar de (que) = despite, in spite of [takes subjunctive]

a punto de = just about to, at the point of e.g. estar a punto de explotar = to be just about to explode estar a punto de hervir = to be about to boil

a tiempo = on time

a posteriori = in hindsight

aprisa, a prisa = hurrying [as a command you can say it like “hurry up”, same with deprisa or you might see it as a command like date prisa where darse prisa is “to hurry”] a toda prisa = as fast as possible, as fast as you can

a primera vista = at first sight

a raudales = in abundance, overflowing [not super common but you never know; more common is estar repleto/a de or estar lleno/a de or using a verb like rebosar]

a primera hora = first thing in the morning, “bright and early”

a plena luz de día = in broad daylight

a cuadros = checkered, gingham [pattern]

a lunares = polka dot [pattern]

a rayas = striped [pattern]

a rombos / de rombos = argyle / diamond-shape pattern

Your clothing you might see a or de used here, but it works like this… quiero una camisa a rayas “I want a striped shirt” or quiero una camisa a lunares “I want a polka dot shirt”. You do see sometimes that it’s de but saying un traje a rayas or una traje de rayas (finas) for “a pinstripe suit” is pretty similar.

Important note: a is used a lot in culinary things the same way you’d see it with French or Italian, where it means “done in the style of”. In that case, it’s hard to translate it very literally.

Common examples:

gambas al ajillo = “shrimp/prawns in garlic and olive oil”

pulpo a la gallega = “Galician-style octopus”

calamar a la romana = “Roman-style squid”

al horno = “oven-baked” [in Italian al forno]

a la carta = a la carte [French]

al pastor = “shepherd-style”

a la rusa = “Russian-style” [usually “stroganoff”]

papas/patatas a la alemana = “German-style potatoes” / German potato salad

In some cases it’s not just food. For example the expression despedirse a la francesa which is literally “saying goodbye the French way” means “to leave without telling anyone you’re going”

Or, you might see something called el servicio a la rusa which is “Russian-style service” or el servicio a la inglesa “English-style service” which refer to a fancier kind of dinner service where an attendant or server will cut portions for you and serve you that way instead of you helping yourself.