en
/en/
The Spanish word for 'at' is en.
en is used to indicate being at a specific point, location or place, such as 'at the station' or 'at school'. It also serves the English meaning of 'in' to express containment.
Meaning: in or very near a particular place (prep)
Which one should you use?
While English distinguishes between 'at' (location) and 'in' (containment), the Spanish preposition en covers both meanings.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Caribbean Spanish, you might use a instead of en in informal contexts.
How do you pronounce it?
/en/
What mistakes should you avoid?
English speakers often mistakenly use a to mean 'at' (for example, saying 'estoy a la casa'). You should use en instead to correctly express location.
Did you know?
- While en translates to 'at' or 'in', Spanish speakers often use en to describe being 'on' something, such as en la mesa for 'on the table'.
- Spanish uses en to indicate the means of transport, such as en tren or en coche, where English uses 'by'.
- The preposition en is an ancient survivor, tracing its roots back to the Proto-Indo-European particle *h₁én.
Examples in context
- No está en casa.He isn't at home.This sentence shows the negative form of being 'at' home.Tatoeba #1309159 by Shishir, translation #1842272 by BraveSentry
- Él está en casa.He is at home.This sentence shows the positive form of being 'at' home.Tatoeba #1957979 by teskmon, translation #816868 by Cindrogriza
- Estoy en la casa.I'm at home.This sentence demonstrates how to say you are 'at' home using en.Tatoeba #1267023 by marcelostockle, translation #404046 by zipangu
- La conferencia se llevará a cabo en el hotel.The conference will take place at the hotel.
- Nos vemos en el teatro.We'll meet at the theater.
- Tu paquete está a nombre de Juan.Your package is addressed to Juan.
- Vamos a cenar en casa de mis abuelos.We're having dinner at my grandparents' house.
- Vamos a encontrarnos en el parque.We're going to meet at the park.
- ¿Estás en casa?Are you at home?
- 3541 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Elena calls Javier to see where he is.
- Elena¿Dónde estás, Javier?Where are you, Javier?
- JavierEstoy en el café.I am at the cafe.
- ElenaTe veo en el café en diez minutos.I will see you at the cafe in ten minutes.
- JavierVale, te espero.Okay, I'll wait for you.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “at” translations and entries en, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries en, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
