A1 Spanish grammar
Spanish Prepositions of Place: Describe Where Things Are
Spanish prepositions of place connect estar with a reference point. Expressions such as encima de, debajo de, delante de, detrás de, cerca de, and al lado de explain where one person or thing is in relation to another.
Use Spanish prepositions of place with estar
A common pattern is subject + estar + place expression: El libro está encima de la mesa.
El libro está encima de la mesa.Quick check
Complete: El libro está ___ la mesa. (on top of)
Keep de in multi-word location expressions
Expressions such as debajo de, delante de, detrás de, cerca de, and al lado de need de before their reference noun.
El gato está debajo de la silla.Choose the relationship you want to describe
Use encima or debajo for vertical position, delante or detrás for front and back, and cerca, al lado, or lejos for relative distance.
La farmacia está al lado del banco.Common mistakes
La estación está cerca el hotel.
La estación está cerca del hotel.
Cerca needs de, and de plus el becomes del.
El café está al lado la tienda.
El café está al lado de la tienda.
Keep de after the complete expression al lado.
Ready to practise Spanish prepositions of place?
Complete an eight-question round and save skill-level progress for future review.
Prepositions of place FAQ
What are common Spanish prepositions of place?
Common beginner expressions include en, encima de, debajo de, delante de, detrás de, cerca de, al lado de, and lejos de.
What is the difference between en and encima de?
En gives a general location and can mean in, at, or on. Encima de specifically means on top of or above.
Why do many location expressions use de?
De connects the location expression to its reference point, as in cerca de la estación.
Why does de el become del?
Spanish contracts de plus the masculine singular article el to del: al lado del banco.