How to Say "Beside" in Spanish

al lado de

/al ˈlado de/

Beside in Spanish is al lado de.

The phrase al lado de is used to describe a position that is next to someone or something.

What does it mean word for word?

Literally, al lado de translates to "at the side of".

While al lado de is the most common way to say beside, you can use junto a as a more concise alternative meaning "next to" or "close to".

The term al ladito de is an informal regional variation used to express beside.

al lado de is a prepositional phrase that requires the preposition de before a noun or pronoun.

/al ˈlado de/

Avoid omitting the de when following the phrase with an object. Do not say al lado ella, but instead use the correct al lado de ella.

While al lado de describes physical proximity, the related expression estar al lado can be used idiomatically to say someone is nearly equal in skill or quality to another person.
In some Spanish-speaking regions, adding the suffix -ito to create al ladito de does not just mean 'next to', but can be used to express affection or a feeling of closeness.
The word lado in al lado de shares its DNA with the English word 'lateral', both descending from the Latin 'latus'.

Yo me senté al lado de ella.
I sat beside her.
This sentence shows how to use al lado de with a pronoun.
Tatoeba #1289509 by marcelostockle, translation #261291 by CK
Tom se agachó al lado de Mary.
Tom crouched beside Mary.
This sentence demonstrates the use of al lado de with a person.
Tatoeba #5261195 by Omnivoro, translation #2644953 by CK
La madre yacía al lado de su bebé en la cama.
The mother lay beside her baby on the bed.
This sentence illustrates using al lado de to describe a position in a specific setting.
Tatoeba #637490 by clerval, translation #320913 by CK
La casa está al lado de la playa.
The house is beside the beach.
La iglesia se encuentra junto a la plaza.
The church is beside the square.
La escuela está a un costado de la biblioteca.
The school is beside the library.
La fiesta es al lado del restaurante.
The party is beside the restaurant.
Voy a sentarme pegado a ti en el cine.
I'm going to sit beside you at the movies.
¡Ven a sentarte al ladito de mamá!
Come sit beside mommy!
4 more sentences on Tatoeba

Mateo and María are looking for a place to sit in a cafe.

Mateo

¿Hay un sitio al lado de la ventana?
Is there a seat beside the window?
María

Sí, hay una silla al lado de la mesa.
Yes, there is a chair beside the table.
Mateo

Perfecto, me sentaré al lado de ti.
Perfect, I will sit beside you.
María

Muy bien, Mateo, siéntate aquí.
Very well, Mateo, sit here.

Sources

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