Prepositions of Place
Describe simple locations with common Spanish place expressions.
Prepositions of Place in Spanish
Prepositions of place show where a person or thing is.
| Spanish | English | Example |
|---|---|---|
| en | in, on, at | El libro está en la mesa. — The book is on the table. |
| cerca de | near | Vivo cerca del parque. — I live near the park. |
| lejos de | far from | La playa está lejos de aquí. — The beach is far from here. |
| delante de | in front of | El coche está delante de la casa. — The car is in front of the house. |
| detrás de | behind | El jardín está detrás del edificio. — The garden is behind the building. |
| al lado de | next to | El banco está al lado del café. — The bank is next to the café. |
| entre | between | La tienda está entre dos bares. — The shop is between two bars. |
How to use them
Use these expressions with estar to say where a specific person or thing is.
- El supermercado está cerca de mi casa. — The supermarket is near my house.
- Las llaves están en la mesa. — The keys are on the table.
You can also use them with hay:
- Hay un parque cerca de mi casa. — There is a park near my house.
- Hay una farmacia al lado del banco. — There is a pharmacy next to the bank.
De + el = del
When de comes before el, they combine to form del.
- cerca de + el parque → cerca del parque
- delante de + el hotel → delante del hotel
But de + la does not change:
- cerca de la estación
A + el = al
A + el becomes al.
This appears in al lado de:
- El café está al lado del banco.
Quick rule
Use estar + place expression to say where something is: La tienda está cerca del parque.