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The Spanish prepositions a, por, para, de, en, and others, are not easy to master.
Prepositions are frequently ‘unpredictable’ and difficult to translate. As you may have seen by now, the same preposition is often used in a wide variety of contexts.
Mastering the Spanish prepositions requires a lot of practice, but becoming familiar with their usage rules will greatly speed up your knowledge. Learning common expressions with prepositions will speed it up even further.
This Complete Guide to Spanish Grammar today focuses on the ever-present Spanish preposition a.
We’re going to see when this preposition is used, we’re going to find out which verbs are followed by it, and we’re going to learn some everyday set phrases and expressions with it.
When to use the Spanish preposition a
The Spanish preposition a most often translates as ‘to’ and ‘at’. It can, however, have many other translations, for instance: on, by, in, from; or it may not be translated at all.
Have a look at this example:
| No conozco a tu hermano | I don’t know your brother |
The Spanish preposition a has various uses. It can:
- Indicate movement to a destination
- Connect a main verb with an infinitive
- Indicate a way of doing something
- Precede a person – this is known as ‘the personal a‘
- Indicate a point on a scale (time, temperature, price, speed, etc.)
Here are 5 examples that illustrate each of these 5 points in order:
| Spanish sentences | English translation |
|---|---|
| Fueron en tren a París | The went to Paris by train |
| Todavía están aprendiendo a leer | They’re still learning to read |
| Esta camisa está hecha a mano | This shirt is made by hand |
| ¿Viste a tu prima? | Did you see your cousin? |
| Vinieron a las ocho y veinte | They came at twenty past eight |
Spanish verbs followed by a
The Spanish preposition a often follows a verb.
Let’s see ten common verbs which are often followed by the Spanish preposition a:
- Asistir a :: To attend
- Atreverse a :: To dare to
- Decidirse a :: To decide to
- Empezar a :: To start to
- Ir a :: To go to
- Llegar a :: To arrive at
- Negarse a :: To refuse to
- Oler a :: To smell of
- Parecerse a :: To look like
- Volver a :: To return to, to redo [something]
To practice these ten verbs with the preposition a, here are ten sentences:
| Spanish sentences | English translation |
|---|---|
| No asistieron a la reunión del lunes | They didn’t attend Monday’s meeting |
| No se van a atrever a ir | They won’t dare to go |
| Se decidió a dejarla | He decided to leave her |
| A las dos empezaron a recoger | At two o’clock they started to tidy up |
| Fueron al parque con los niños | They went to the park with the kids |
| Llegaremos a la estación muy tarde | We’ll arrive at the station very late |
| Se negaron a ayudarnos | The refused to help us |
| Huele a gas | It smells of gas |
| Carlos se parece a su abuelo | Charles looks like his grandfather |
| Tenemos que volver a hacerlo | We have to do it again |
Spanish expressions with the preposition a
Becoming familiar with common expressions is essential if you want to understand native Spanish speakers.
That’s why we’re going to finish with these ten very common expressions with the Spanish preposition a. Throughout this blog I’ll introduce you to other everyday expressions and proverbs with a.
All of these expressions can be translated in several ways. Here I’ve given you the most frequent translations.
- A causa de :: Because of
- A favor de :: In favor of
- A la derecha :: On the right
- A la izquierda :: On the left
- Al lado de :: Next to
- Al norte (de) :: To the north (of)
- Al sur (de) :: To the south (of)
- A pie :: On foot
- Frente a :: In front of
- Junto a :: Next to
You can learn grammar fast and easily, including the Spanish preposition a, with this highly recommended Spanish course.
To get dozens of tips on how to learn grammar and enjoy it, have a look at my study guide How to Learn Spanish.
It’s your turn
Can you think of other phrases with the Spanish preposition a? Type them in the comment box below !
About Maria Fernandez
