Module 13: Mastering Prepositions and Linking Words

In this module, we will focus on prepositions and linking words, which are crucial for forming more complex and fluid sentences in Spanish. Understanding these tools will help you make connections between ideas, create more nuanced statements, and improve the flow of your conversations.

Lesson 1: Common Spanish Prepositions

Prepositions of Place:

These prepositions describe where something is located or the direction of movement.

en – in, on, at
sobre – on, over
debajo de – under
al lado de – next to, beside
delante de – in front of
detrás de – behind
entre – between

Example sentences:

El libro está en la mesa. – The book is on the table.
Mi casa está detrás de la iglesia. – My house is behind the church.
La tienda está entre el banco y el parque. – The store is between the bank and the park.

Prepositions of Time:

These prepositions describe when actions take place.

a – at, to (used with hours)
en – in, on (used with months, years, seasons, etc.)
desde – since, from (starting point)
hasta – until, up to (ending point)
durante – during

Example sentences:

Nos vemos a las cinco. – We’ll see each other at five.
Trabajo en la mañana. – I work in the morning.
Estuve en España desde junio hasta agosto. – I was in Spain from June to August.

Prepositions of Movement:

These describe the direction in which something is moving.

a – to
hacia – towards
desde – from
por – along, through
para – for, to (destination)

Example sentences:

Voy a la tienda. – I’m going to the store.
Caminamos hacia el parque. – We are walking towards the park.
Viajo desde Madrid hasta Barcelona. – I travel from Madrid to Barcelona.

Simple Prepositions:

a – to, at
ante – before, in front of
bajo – under, below
con – with
contra – against
de – of, from
desde – from, since
en – in, on, at
entre – between, among
hacia – toward
hasta – until, up to
para – for, to, in order to
por – by, for, through
según – according to
sin – without
sobre – on, about, over

Compound Prepositions:

a través de – through, across
alrededor de – around
cerca de – near, close to
debajo de – under, underneath
delante de – in front of
dentro de – inside, within
después de – after
detrás de – behind
encima de – on top of, above
enfrente de – opposite, in front of
fuera de – outside of
junto a – next to, close to
lejos de – far from
en lugar de – instead of

These prepositions are commonly used in everyday Spanish conversations and written text. They are essential for constructing sentences and expressing spatial, temporal, or relational ideas.

Lesson 2: Using Linking Words and Conjunctions

Conjunctions for Adding Ideas:

y – and
e – and (used before words starting with “i” or “hi”)
además – furthermore, besides
también – also, too
ni – nor (used for negative alternatives)

Example sentences:

Me gusta leer y escribir. – I like to read and write.
Juan y Ana son amigos. – Juan and Ana are friends.
Estudia mucho, además es muy inteligente. – She studies a lot, furthermore, she is very smart.

Conjunctions for Contrasting Ideas:

pero – but
sin embargo – however
aunque – although, even though
por el contrario – on the contrary
a pesar de – despite, in spite of

Example sentences:

Me gusta la pizza, pero prefiero la pasta. – I like pizza, but I prefer pasta.
El clima es cálido, sin embargo, hace mucho viento. – The weather is warm, however, it’s very windy.
Aunque estaba cansado, fui al gimnasio. – Although I was tired, I went to the gym.

Conjunctions for Cause and Effect:

porque – because
por lo tanto – therefore
ya que – since, because
debido a – due to
como – as, since (when starting a sentence)

Example sentences:

No fui al cine porque estaba lloviendo. – I didn’t go to the movies because it was raining.
Estudié mucho, por lo tanto, aprobé el examen. – I studied a lot, therefore, I passed the exam.
Como estaba cansado, me fui temprano. – Since I was tired, I left early.

Lesson 3: Expressing Purpose, Condition, and Result

Conjunctions for Purpose:

para – for, in order to
a fin de que – so that (subjunctive)
con el fin de que – with the aim of

Example sentences:

Estudia mucho para sacar buenas notas. – He studies a lot in order to get good grades.
Salimos temprano a fin de que no haya tráfico. – We leave early so that there’s no traffic.

Conjunctions for Condition:

si – if
en caso de que – in case
a menos que – unless
como si – as if (followed by the subjunctive)

Example sentences:

Si tengo tiempo, iré al cine. – If I have time, I will go to the cinema.
En caso de que no llegues, avísame. – In case you don’t arrive, let me know.
Habla como si supiera todo. – He talks as if he knew everything.

Conjunctions for Result:

por lo que – so, therefore
así que – so, therefore
de modo que – so that, in such a way that
como resultado – as a result

Example sentences:

El sol está muy fuerte, por lo que no saldremos hoy. – The sun is very strong, so we won’t go out today.
Llegamos tarde, así que no pudimos ver la película. – We arrived late, so we couldn’t see the movie.

Lesson 4: Idiomatic Expressions and Phrasal Verbs with Prepositions

Common Phrasal Verbs with Prepositions:

pensar en – to think about
soñar con – to dream of
enamorarse de – to fall in love with
contar con – to count on
enfrentarse a – to face, to confront

Example sentences:

Estoy pensando en ir a la playa mañana. – I’m thinking about going to the beach tomorrow.
Soñé con viajar por el mundo. – I dreamed of traveling around the world.
Ella se enamoró de él a primera vista. – She fell in love with him at first sight.

Common Idiomatic Expressions with Prepositions:

de vez en cuando – from time to time
a través de – through, across
en lugar de – instead of
dar la vuelta a – to turn around
a lo largo de – throughout

Example sentences:

De vez en cuando, me gusta ir al cine. – From time to time, I like to go to the movies.
Viajamos a través de muchos países. – We traveled across many countries.
A lo largo de mi vida, he aprendido muchas cosas. – Throughout my life, I have learned many things.

End of Module 13: Review

By the end of this module, you will have a solid understanding of prepositions and linking words that will help you express complex ideas in a more fluid and connected way. You will also have learned several idiomatic expressions and phrasal verbs that are commonly used by native speakers, making your speech more natural and effective.