Prepositions in Spanish — Complete Guide for English Speakers

Last Updated on June 16, 2026 by I Love Spanish Club

Prepositions of place in Spanish are essential for expressing the location of objects, people, or places relative to one another. Learning these prepositions not only helps improve fluency but also makes communication more precise and clear — you’ll use them every single day when describing where things are, giving directions, or talking about your surroundings. In this complete guide you’ll find all the key prepositions of place in Spanish with examples, grammar tips, real conversations, and practice exercises. ¡Empecemos!

📍 What Are Prepositions of Place?

Prepositions of place (preposiciones de lugar) describe the location of something or someone in relation to another thing. In Spanish, they are almost always used with the verb estar — not ser — because location is a temporary state.

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📋 Common Prepositions of Place in Spanish

Spanish	English	Example	Translation
en	in / on / at	El libro está en la mesa.	The book is on the table.
encima de	on top of	El cuadro está encima de la cama.	The picture is on top of the bed.
debajo de	underneath / under	La mochila está debajo de la silla.	The backpack is under the chair.
al lado de	next to / beside	El perro está al lado de la puerta.	The dog is next to the door.
cerca de	near / close to	La tienda está cerca de mi casa.	The store is near my house.
lejos de	far from	La escuela está lejos de aquí.	The school 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 gato está detrás de la cortina.	The cat is behind the curtain.
entre	between	La silla está entre la mesa y la pared.	The chair is between the table and the wall.
dentro de	inside	La ropa está dentro de la caja.	The clothes are inside the box.
fuera de	outside	El niño está fuera de la casa.	The child is outside the house.
enfrente de	facing / opposite	El banco está enfrente del parque.	The bank is opposite the park.
a la derecha de	to the right of	El baño está a la derecha.	The bathroom is to the right.
a la izquierda de	to the left of	La farmacia está a la izquierda.	The pharmacy is to the left.
sobre	on / above	El avión vuela sobre las nubes.	The plane flies above the clouds.

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💡 Key Grammar Tips

1. Always use ESTAR for location

As mentioned above, location always uses estar. The only exception is events — La fiesta es en mi casa (The party is at my house) — where ser is used. But for physical objects and people: always estar.

2. “De” contracts with “el” to form “del”

When a preposition of place ends in de and is followed by el, they contract to del:

❌ ~~Está detrás de el banco.~~	✅ Está detrás del banco.
❌ ~~Al lado de el parque.~~	✅ Al lado del parque.

3. “En” is very versatile

En covers “in”, “on”, and “at” in many situations. Context makes it clear which one is meant. Estoy en casa (I’m at home), el libro está en la mesa (the book is on the table), vivimos en Colombia (we live in Colombia).

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💬 Real Conversation Examples

Prepositions of place are some of the most practical vocabulary you can master — you need them to give directions, describe your home, and navigate any new city. A native tutor on Italki can practice real direction-giving with you, describing rooms and navigating scenarios so these prepositions become completely automatic.

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⚠️ Common Mistakes English Speakers Make

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✏️ Practice Exercise

Look around the room you’re in right now and describe 5 objects using prepositions of place:

1. El/La _______ está _______ de _______.
2. El/La _______ está _______ de _______.
3. El/La _______ está _______ de _______.
4. El/La _______ está _______ de _______.
5. El/La _______ está _______ de _______.

✅ Show Example Answers

1. El teléfono está encima de la mesa.
2. El gato está debajo de la silla.
3. La lámpara está al lado de la cama.
4. El libro está dentro de la mochila.
5. La tienda está cerca de mi casa.

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❓ Frequently Asked Questions

What’s the difference between “en” and “encima de”?
En is a general preposition meaning “in”, “on”, or “at” — it doesn’t specify exact position. Encima de specifically means “on top of” and is more precise. You can say el libro está en la mesa or el libro está encima de la mesa — both work, but encima de emphasizes the top surface specifically.

Why do some prepositions need “de” and others don’t?
Simple prepositions like en, entre, and sobre are single words. Compound prepositions like encima de, debajo de, al lado de are phrases — they always need de before the noun they reference. Think of them as fixed expressions to memorize as a unit.

What’s the best way to memorize prepositions of place?
Practice with real objects around you — describe where things are in your room, your kitchen, your street. The more concrete and personal the examples, the better they stick. Watching Spanish shows on LingoPie also helps because characters constantly describe locations and give directions in natural Spanish.

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📚 Keep Learning

• 👉 Prepositions in Spanish — Complete Guide
• 👉 Ser vs Estar — when to use each
• 👉 Spanish Question Words — ¿Dónde? and more

Exercise

1. Complete sentences with the correct preposition.

2.Drag the correct preposition into a blank space in each sentence.

3. Choose the correct answer