Questions tagged [preposiciones]
Palabras que introducen términos con los que forman grupo sintáctico. // Function words such as "a", "de", "en", "por", "para", "sin", or "sobre".
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What is the history of the "personal a"?
What is the historical origin of the "personal a" in Spanish?
Examples of the personal a:
George sees Mary. -> Jorge ve a María.
I see the waitress. -> Veo a la mesera.
But with the exact same ...
- 12.8k
3
votes
4
answers
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nuevos zapatos por/para España?
I am learning Spanish and want to post a picture of my new running shoes that I will be using in the Madrid marathon. Which is correct?
nuevos zapatos por España
or
nuevos zapatos para España
...
- 145
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votes
1
answer
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Can I say "contestar las preguntas" instead of "contestar a las preguntas"?
In my spanish text book there is a sentence:
¿Tenéis que contestar a las preguntas de la profesora?
Since "contestar" can be followed directly by objects, why should we use a preposition "a" before ...
- 281
2
votes
1
answer
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Differences between "razón de," "razón por la que," and "razón para"
I think I've heard three ways of translating "the reason [something happened]" or "the reason [for something]":
la razón para
la razón de
la razón por la que
What is the difference between these ...
- 17.5k
7
votes
3
answers
205
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'Se me van encoger' o 'se me van a encoger'
Me gustaría saber si alguien sabe cuál es la forma correcta de expresar algo que se encogerá:
'Se me van encoger' o 'Se me van a encoger'
- 301
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votes
6
answers
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Why do oler and saber take the preposition "a"?
As an English speaker learning Spanish, I was always a little confused that it smells and tastes "to" something rather than "of" something:
Huele a humo.
Sabe a ajo.
I would think of "a" as implying ...
- 17.5k
5
votes
3
answers
509
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Preposiciones para dirección
Me encontré escribiendo esta frase:
Ella comenzó a correr hacia la dirección en la que él había apuntado.
Sin embargo, siento que las preposiciones son correctas de forma independiente, y no ...
- 655
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votes
2
answers
134
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Why "fiestas de árboles" and not "árboles de fiestas"?
I encountered the expression "fiestas de árboles" in a song by a Chilean singer whose lyrics are:
Tus ojos son fiestas de árboles, son mi ventana.
Son estrellas que guían mi caravana.
Google ...
- 1,286
5
votes
2
answers
172
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Should I include "a" after "conocemos"?
Which would be correct?
Nosotros conocemos a los padres de nuestros amigos.
Nosotros conocemos los padres de nuestros amigos.
- 121
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3
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Two nouns in a row, or, is it OK to omit "de"?
Two or more nouns are sometimes used consecutively, with the second modifying the first.
For instance, I recently received a mail whose subject was "Honorarios migración." This is, I suppose, ...
- 886
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3
answers
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What's the difference between "estar ansioso de" and "estar ansioso por"?
I know that both 'estar ansioso de' and 'estar ansioso por' mean to be excited for something or looking forward to it, but how do I decide which one to use? Do the two have slightly different meanings?...
- 2,731
9
votes
3
answers
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How to say instead (when at the end of a sentence)
I know how to say,
Do Y instead of X
using 'en vez de' or en 'lugar de'
But how should I say something like
Learn Spanish instead.
Can I end a sentence with 'instead' or must I always specify ...
- 1,722
10
votes
1
answer
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When to add prepositions before an infinitive verb (por/para/a/de)?
With the infinitive form of a verb in English, (e.g. to speak), the word 'to' seems to convey a specific meaning where, in Spanish, an additional preposition is used in some cases.
Examples:
I can ...
- 545
3
votes
2
answers
209
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Why is "por" prefered to "para" in the example within?
From Shakira's Suerte:
Yo puedo escalar los Andes solo
Por ir a contar tus lunares
Why is por preferable to para in this case. If one translation of para is roughly "for the purpose of", ...
- 1,003
2
votes
1
answer
244
views
Difference between some verbs and pronomial forms of the verb with the same translation
SpanishDict translates some verbs and their pronominal forms (+de, +a, etc.) as the same thing. Off the top of my head:
Escapar - to escape
Escaparse de - to escape
Olvidar - to forget
Olvidarse de - ...
- 1,003
4
votes
1
answer
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"pensando en ti" vs. "pensando de ti" vs. "pensándote"
When using the verb pensar to describe thinking about a person, there are at least three options:
Estoy pensando en ti.
Estoy pensando de ti.
Estoy pensándote.
What are the differences between these ...
- 17.5k
12
votes
3
answers
23k
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Choosing between 'sobre' and 'acerca de'
Is there a significant difference between "sobre" and "acerca de", when the intent is to describe the topic of something?
Where is "acerca de" a better choice than "sobre", and vice-versa?
- 221
4
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1
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Cannot use adverbs + possessives: "delante de ti" v/s "delante tuyo"
In Spanish there are some adverbs followed by de:
Delante de, atrás de, en frente de, etc...
When these adverbs are followed in a sentence by a declined pronoun, they are often "contracted" ...
- 6,201
6
votes
3
answers
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Difference between 'trabajar para' and 'trabajar por'
I know the difference between por and para, but I'm confused by these particular usages. I've seen both of them in various places. 'Trabajar para' seems to mean to work for, whereas 'trabajar por' ...
- 2,731
14
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5
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Are there any differences between "de nada" and "por nada"?
Most of the time in all the Spanish speaking countries I've been in I've heard de nada as the reply to gracias or the equivalent of English you're welcome etc.
But after a while I became conscious ...
- 5,244
19
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3
answers
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What's the difference between "debe de" y "debe"?
Is there any difference? What's their usage? When should one be used instead of the other one?
Examples:
El niño debe de hacer su tarea.
El niño debe hacer su tarea.
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2
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Spanish phrasal verbs
Español
La característica más difícil del idioma inglés (al menos en mi caso particular) son los "Phrasal verbs".
Hoy me encontré una oración en un periódico que me hizo pensar sobre la existencia ...
- 6,201
23
votes
6
answers
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"Vaso de agua" or "vaso con agua"? Which is correct?
English
What's the correct way to express that something "serves as a container for something else"?
Example:
¿Quieres un vaso de/con agua?
Should we use de or con? Are both correct? Why?
If we ...
- 10.6k
7
votes
1
answer
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Usage of the compound preposition "para con"
Wikipedia mentions that para con is rarely used, but I hear it often enough to warrant this question.
On the other hand, the Wikipedia article references the Diccionario panhispánico de dudas with ...
- 1,610
11
votes
2
answers
265
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Unclear why to use "A vuestros hijos" instead of "vuestros hijos"
I have the following sentence in English
Do your children like to read?
Which translates to Spanish:
¿ A vuestros hijos les gusta leer?
To me it is unclear, why I have to use "A vuestros" in ...
- 233
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votes
6
answers
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Difference between "por" and "para"
Even after taking 4 years of college Spanish and living abroad, I still don't have a very firm control of when to use por or para. What are the basic rules on when to use either.
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