en el
/en el/from spelling rules
The Spanish phrase for "at the" is en el.
en el is a prepositional phrase used to indicate a specific location or position. It is important to note that in Spanish, en el is used to express both "at the" and "in the" when referring to a location.
How does it change in a sentence?
The phrase must change to match the gender and number of the noun that follows it. Use en la if the noun is feminine, en los if the noun is masculine and plural and en las if the noun is feminine and plural.
How do you pronounce it?
/en el/
What mistakes should you avoid?
English speakers sometimes mistakenly try to use a el to mean "at the", but you should use en el to express location.
Did you know?
- Although the Spanish word el looks and sounds like the Arabic definite article al, they are not related. This is a linguistic coincidence known as a false cognate.
- While en el means 'at the' or 'in the', Spanish speakers often use it to describe being 'on' something, such as en el tren for 'on the train'.
- If you are trying to say 'at the' and use the preposition 'a' instead of 'en', you might inadvertently indicate direction or movement toward a place rather than a static location.
Examples in context
- Estaba en el cine.I was at the cinema.This sentence shows how to use en el to indicate being at a cinema.Tatoeba #703796 by Shishir, translation #750642 by sctld
- Comen en el hotel.They take their meals at the hotel.This sentence shows how to use en el to indicate eating at a hotel.Tatoeba #1089099 by Shishir, translation #306018 by Dejo
- Estoy en el banco.I'm at the bank.This sentence shows how to use en el to indicate being at a bank.Tatoeba #2817645 by marcelostockle, translation #2549518 by CK
- 415 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Mateo and María are deciding where to meet for lunch.
- Mateo¿Nos vemos en el café?Shall we meet at the cafe?
- MaríaSí, me parece bien.Yes, that sounds good to me.
- MateoEstaré allí a las dos.I will be there at two.
- MaríaPerfecto, Mateo, nos vemos pronto.Perfect, Mateo, see you soon.
Sources
- IPA marked “from spelling rules” is derived from standard Spanish spelling, where Wiktionary gives none.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries el, en, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
