preposición
/pɾeposiˈθjon/feminine
The English word "preposition" is preposición in Spanish.
In a grammatical context, a preposición is a type of word like "of, from, for, by". Common examples include de (meaning "of" or "from"), con (meaning "with") and por (meaning "for" or "through").
Meaning: grammar: a type of word like "of, from, for, by" (noun)
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Spain, the term adposición may be heard in academic or linguistic contexts.
How does it change in a sentence?
The noun preposición is feminine, so any accompanying adjectives must also be feminine, such as la preposición larga. The preposition a contracts with the definite article el to form al.
How do you pronounce it?
/pɾeposiˈθjon/
Did you know?
- The preposition a performs a special task called the 'personal a' in Spanish. It is inserted before a direct object if that object is a person or a pet, a grammatical quirk that has no equivalent in English.
- Certain Spanish verbs have a 'regime' that mandates a specific preposición, such as soñar con, which translates literally to 'dream with' rather than 'dream of'.
- The word preposición is a cognate derived from the Latin praepositiōnem, which literally means 'the act of placing before'.
Examples in context
- "In" es una preposición."In" is a preposition.This sentence shows how to identify a specific word as a preposición.Tatoeba #1626984 by teskmon, translation #1338503 by Eldad
- Algunos verbos tienen una preposición fija.Some verbs have a fixed preposition.This sentence demonstrates the concept of a verb having a fixed preposición.Tatoeba #11948841 by Eremon, translation #9763120 by megamanenm
- Puedes omitir la preposición en esta frase.You can omit the preposition in this phrase.This sentence illustrates how a preposición can be omitted from a phrase.Tatoeba #11948843 by Eremon, translation #59608 by CK
- Voy a la playa en coche.I go to the beach by car.
- darle vueltas a algoTo mull something over
- en cuanto aRegarding/as for
- 4 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
A student asks a tutor for help with a grammar exercise.
- MaríaAlejandro, ¿sabes qué preposición va aquí?Alejandro, do you know which preposition goes here?
- AlejandroNo estoy seguro de esa preposición.I am not sure about that preposition.
- MaríaEs una pregunta muy complicada para mí.It is a very complicated question for me.
- AlejandroDéjame buscar la respuesta en el libro.Let me look for the answer in the book.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “preposition” translations and entries preposición, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries preposición, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
