en el
/en el/from spelling rules
The English phrase "in the" is translated into Spanish as en el.
en el is a prepositional phrase used to indicate that something is inside a specific place or position. Depending on the context, it can be translated as "in the", "on the" or "at the".
How does it change in a sentence?
The form of the phrase must change to match the gender and number of the noun that follows it. While en el is the masculine singular form, you should use en la if the noun is feminine, en los if the noun is masculine and plural or en las if the noun is feminine and plural. Additionally, when expressing "in the" for general locations like cities or countries, use en without any article.
How do you pronounce it?
/en el/
Did you know?
- The Spanish word el is often mistaken for being related to the Arabic 'al-', but it actually comes from the Latin word 'ille', meaning 'that one'.
- In some Spanish dialects, particularly in the Caribbean, the l in el can be softened or dropped in rapid speech, which can make the phrase en el sound like en e'.
- While English uses 'in', 'on' and 'at' to distinguish between containment and surface contact, Spanish often uses en for all three. For example, en la mesa can mean both 'in the table' and 'on the table'.
Examples in context
- Nadé en el río.I swam in the river.This sentence shows how to use en el to describe being inside a body of water.Tatoeba #3715918 by Seael, translation #2250450 by CK
- Paz en el mundo.Let there be peace in the world.This sentence shows how to use en el to describe a location in the world.Tatoeba #4553966 by swyter, translation #4541428 by Jesse
- ¿Come en el aula?Do you eat in the classroom?This sentence shows how to use en el to ask about being inside a room.Tatoeba #1003052 by Shishir, translation #590016 by CK
- El café está en la esquina.The café is on the corner.
- Voy a ir al cine de la plaza.I'm going to the movie theater in the plaza.
- 2606 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Alejandro and Lucía are talking about where they left the car keys.
- Alejandro¿Están las llaves en el cajón?Are the keys in the drawer?
- LucíaNo, no están en el cajón.No, they are not in the drawer.
- AlejandroCreo que están en el bolso.I think they are in the bag.
- LucíaTienes razón, Alejandro, aquí están.You are right, Alejandro, here they are.
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.
