📍 English Prepositions

Prepositions are short words that connect people, places, things, and ideas. They help explain where something is, when something happens, and how people or objects relate to each other. Although they are small, they are some of the most frequently used words in English. Each English phrase includes translations in several languages.

🟢 Prepositions of Place

📍 In
use in for something inside an enclosed space
The keys are in the drawer.
The fish swim in the lake.
Show translationsHide translations🇪🇸 Spanish: Las llaves están en el cajón. / Los peces nadan en el lago.
🇫🇷 French: Les clés sont dans le tiroir. / Les poissons nagent dans le lac.
🇩🇪 German: Die Schlüssel sind in der Schublade. / Die Fische schwimmen im See.
🇮🇹 Italian: Le chiavi sono nel cassetto. / I pesci nuotano nel lago.
🇵🇹 Portuguese: As chaves estão na gaveta. / Os peixes nadam no lago.
🪑 On
use on for something resting on a surface
Your notebook is on the desk.
There is snow on the roof.
Show translationsHide translations🇪🇸 Spanish: Tu cuaderno está sobre el escritorio. / Hay nieve en el techo.
🇫🇷 French: Ton cahier est sur le bureau. / Il y a de la neige sur le toit.
🇩🇪 German: Dein Notizbuch liegt auf dem Schreibtisch. / Es liegt Schnee auf dem Dach.
🇮🇹 Italian: Il tuo taccuino è sulla scrivania. / C'è neve sul tetto.
🇵🇹 Portuguese: Seu caderno está sobre a mesa. / Há neve no telhado.
📌 At
use at for a specific place or point
I'll meet you at the entrance.
She is waiting at the bus stop.
Show translationsHide translations🇪🇸 Spanish: Te espero en la entrada. / Ella está esperando en la parada de autobús.
🇫🇷 French: Je te retrouve à l'entrée. / Elle attend à l'arrêt de bus.
🇩🇪 German: Ich treffe dich am Eingang. / Sie wartet an der Bushaltestelle.
🇮🇹 Italian: Ti aspetto all'ingresso. / Lei sta aspettando alla fermata dell'autobus.
🇵🇹 Portuguese: Eu te encontro na entrada. / Ela está esperando no ponto de ônibus.
⬇️ Under
lower than something else
The puppy is sleeping under the table.
Show translationsHide translations🇪🇸 Spanish: El cachorro está durmiendo debajo de la mesa.
🇫🇷 French: Le chiot dort sous la table.
🇩🇪 German: Der Welpe schläft unter dem Tisch.
🇮🇹 Italian: Il cucciolo sta dormendo sotto il tavolo.
🇵🇹 Portuguese: O filhote está dormindo debaixo da mesa.
🏠 Between
in the middle of two things
The bakery is between the bank and the pharmacy.
Show translationsHide translations🇪🇸 Spanish: La panadería está entre el banco y la farmacia.
🇫🇷 French: La boulangerie est entre la banque et la pharmacie.
🇩🇪 German: Die Bäckerei ist zwischen der Bank und der Apotheke.
🇮🇹 Italian: La panetteria è tra la banca e la farmacia.
🇵🇹 Portuguese: A padaria fica entre o banco e a farmácia.
🌳 Behind
at the back of something
The bicycles are parked behind the school.
Show translationsHide translations🇪🇸 Spanish: Las bicicletas están estacionadas detrás de la escuela.
🇫🇷 French: Les vélos sont garés derrière l'école.
🇩🇪 German: Die Fahrräder sind hinter der Schule geparkt.
🇮🇹 Italian: Le biciclette sono parcheggiate dietro la scuola.
🇵🇹 Portuguese: As bicicletas estão estacionadas atrás da escola.

🟡 Prepositions of Movement

➡️ To
shows a destination
We're driving to the airport.
Show translationsHide translations🇪🇸 Spanish: Vamos al aeropuerto en coche.
🇫🇷 French: Nous allons à l'aéroport en voiture.
🇩🇪 German: Wir fahren zum Flughafen.
🇮🇹 Italian: Stiamo andando all'aeroporto in macchina.
🇵🇹 Portuguese: Estamos dirigindo para o aeroporto.
🚪 Into
moving from outside to inside
She walked into the room.
Show translationsHide translations🇪🇸 Spanish: Ella entró en la habitación.
🇫🇷 French: Elle est entrée dans la pièce.
🇩🇪 German: Sie ging in den Raum.
🇮🇹 Italian: Lei è entrata nella stanza.
🇵🇹 Portuguese: Ela entrou na sala.
🌉 Across
from one side to the other
They ran across the bridge.
Show translationsHide translations🇪🇸 Spanish: Corrieron a través del puente.
🇫🇷 French: Ils ont traversé le pont en courant.
🇩🇪 German: Sie rannten über die Brücke.
🇮🇹 Italian: Hanno corso attraverso il ponte.
🇵🇹 Portuguese: Eles correram pela ponte.
🌲 Through
moving inside or within something
We hiked through the forest.
Show translationsHide translations🇪🇸 Spanish: Caminamos a través del bosque.
🇫🇷 French: Nous avons marché à travers la forêt.
🇩🇪 German: Wir sind durch den Wald gewandert.
🇮🇹 Italian: Abbiamo camminato attraverso la foresta.
🇵🇹 Portuguese: Nós caminhamos pela floresta.
🛣️ Along
following the length of something
Let's walk along the river.
Show translationsHide translations🇪🇸 Spanish: Caminemos a lo largo del río.
🇫🇷 French: Marchons le long de la rivière.
🇩🇪 German: Lass uns am Fluss entlang gehen.
🇮🇹 Italian: Camminiamo lungo il fiume.
🇵🇹 Portuguese: Vamos caminhar ao longo do rio.
🧭 Toward
in the direction of something
The hikers moved toward the waterfall.
Show translationsHide translations🇪🇸 Spanish: Los excursionistas se dirigieron hacia la cascada.
🇫🇷 French: Les randonneurs se sont dirigés vers la cascade.
🇩🇪 German: Die Wanderer bewegten sich in Richtung des Wasserfalls.
🇮🇹 Italian: Gli escursionisti si sono diretti verso la cascata.
🇵🇹 Portuguese: Os caminhantes se moveram em direção à cachoeira.

⏰ Prepositions of Time

🕒 At
use for exact times
at 8:30
at midnight
at lunchtime
📅 On
use for days and dates
on Tuesday
on my birthday
on Christmas Day
🗓️ In
use for months, years, seasons, and long periods
in July
in 2027
in winter
🌅 Before / After
shows when something happens
before breakfast
after work
Since / Until
shows a starting point or ending point in time
since 2020
until Friday

🧠 Common Word Combinations

Some words are almost always followed by certain prepositions.

good at
interested in
afraid of
famous for
More useful combinations

depend on
belong to
wait for
arrive at the station
arrive in London
Learn phrases, not just words.
Instead of memorizing only the preposition, learn the complete expression.

✔ interested in music
✔ wait for the bus
✔ belong to a club

⚠️ Common Beginner Mistakes

❌ She arrived to the airport.
She arrived at the airport.
use at for a specific place
❌ We arrived at Canada yesterday.
We arrived in Canada yesterday.
use in for a country or large place
❌ I'm interested on photography.
I'm interested in photography.
the fixed phrase is interested in
❌ He's good in math.
He's good at math.
the fixed phrase is good at
❌ The picture is in the wall.
The picture is on the wall.
use on for a surface
❌ We walked in the bridge.
We walked across the bridge.
use across from one side to the other

❓ Useful Questions

📍 Where do you usually study?
asks for a place
Show translationsHide translations🇪🇸 Spanish: ¿Dónde sueles estudiar?
🇫🇷 French: Où étudiez-vous habituellement ?
🇩🇪 German: Wo lernen Sie normalerweise?
🇮🇹 Italian: Dove studi di solito?
🇵🇹 Portuguese: Onde você costuma estudar?
🕒 What time do you wake up?
asks for a time — often answered with at
Show translationsHide translations🇪🇸 Spanish: ¿A qué hora te despiertas?
🇫🇷 French: À quelle heure vous réveillez-vous ?
🇩🇪 German: Wann wachen Sie auf?
🇮🇹 Italian: A che ora ti svegli?
🇵🇹 Portuguese: A que horas você acorda?
🚶 How do you get to work?
to shows the destination
Show translationsHide translations🇪🇸 Spanish: ¿Cómo vas al trabajo?
🇫🇷 French: Comment allez-vous au travail ?
🇩🇪 German: Wie kommen Sie zur Arbeit?
🇮🇹 Italian: Come vai al lavoro?
🇵🇹 Portuguese: Como você vai para o trabalho?
🌳 Do you live near a park?
near means close to a place
Show translationsHide translations🇪🇸 Spanish: ¿Vives cerca de un parque?
🇫🇷 French: Habitez-vous près d'un parc ?
🇩🇪 German: Wohnen Sie in der Nähe eines Parks?
🇮🇹 Italian: Vivi vicino a un parco?
🇵🇹 Portuguese: Você mora perto de um parque?
🎬 What are you interested in?
fixed combination: interested in
Show translationsHide translations🇪🇸 Spanish: ¿En qué estás interesado?
🇫🇷 French: À quoi vous intéressez-vous ?
🇩🇪 German: Wofür interessieren Sie sich?
🇮🇹 Italian: Di cosa ti interessa?
🇵🇹 Portuguese: Em que você se interessa?
🏖️ Where are you going this weekend?
asks about movement to a destination
Show translationsHide translations🇪🇸 Spanish: ¿Adónde vas este fin de semana?
🇫🇷 French: Où allez-vous ce week-end ?
🇩🇪 German: Wohin gehen Sie dieses Wochenende?
🇮🇹 Italian: Dove vai questo fine settimana?
🇵🇹 Portuguese: Para onde você vai neste fim de semana?

💬 Everyday Conversation

Meeting at the park
prepositions of place and time in a short plan
A: Where should we meet?
B: Let's meet at the park entrance.
A: Is it far from the train station?
B: No, it's just across from the museum.
A: Great! I'll be there at two o'clock.
B: Perfect. See you then!
Show translationsHide translations🇪🇸 A: ¿Dónde nos encontramos?
🇪🇸 B: Encontrémonos en la entrada del parque.
🇪🇸 A: ¿Está lejos de la estación de tren?
🇪🇸 B: No, está justo frente al museo.
🇪🇸 A: ¡Genial! Estaré allí a las dos.
🇪🇸 B: Perfecto. ¡Nos vemos!

🇫🇷 A: Où devons-nous nous rencontrer ?
🇫🇷 B: Retrouvons-nous à l'entrée du parc.
🇫🇷 A: Est-ce loin de la gare ?
🇫🇷 B: Non, c'est juste en face du musée.
🇫🇷 A: Super ! J'y serai à deux heures.
🇫🇷 B: Parfait. À tout à l'heure !

🇩🇪 A: Wo sollen wir uns treffen?
🇩🇪 B: Treffen wir uns am Parkeingang.
🇩🇪 A: Ist es weit vom Bahnhof entfernt?
🇩🇪 B: Nein, es ist direkt gegenüber dem Museum.
🇩🇪 A: Großartig! Ich bin um zwei Uhr da.
🇩🇪 B: Perfekt. Bis dann!

🇮🇹 A: Dove ci incontriamo?
🇮🇹 B: Incontriamoci all'ingresso del parco.
🇮🇹 A: È lontano dalla stazione del treno?
🇮🇹 B: No, è proprio di fronte al museo.
🇮🇹 A: Ottimo! Sarò lì alle due.
🇮🇹 B: Perfetto. A dopo!

🇵🇹 A: Onde devemos nos encontrar?
🇵🇹 B: Vamos nos encontrar na entrada do parque.
🇵🇹 A: É longe da estação de trem?
🇵🇹 B: Não, fica bem em frente ao museu.
🇵🇹 A: Ótimo! Eu estarei lá às duas horas.
🇵🇹 B: Perfeito. Até lá!

📝 Example Sentences

🌉 The cyclists rode across the old bridge.
movement from one side to the other
Show translationsHide translations🇪🇸 Spanish: Los ciclistas cruzaron el viejo puente.
🇫🇷 French: Les cyclistes ont traversé le vieux pont.
🇩🇪 German: Die Radfahrer fuhren über die alte Brücke.
🇮🇹 Italian: I ciclisti hanno attraversato il vecchio ponte.
🇵🇹 Portuguese: Os ciclistas atravessaram a ponte antiga.
📬 Your package is behind the front door.
location at the back of something
Show translationsHide translations🇪🇸 Spanish: Tu paquete está detrás de la puerta principal.
🇫🇷 French: Votre colis est derrière la porte d'entrée.
🇩🇪 German: Ihr Paket liegt hinter der Haustür.
🇮🇹 Italian: Il tuo pacco è dietro la porta d'ingresso.
🇵🇹 Portuguese: Seu pacote está atrás da porta da frente.
🎨 The painting hangs above the fireplace.
position higher than something
Show translationsHide translations🇪🇸 Spanish: El cuadro cuelga encima de la chimenea.
🇫🇷 French: Le tableau est accroché au-dessus de la cheminée.
🇩🇪 German: Das Gemälde hängt über dem Kamin.
🇮🇹 Italian: Il quadro è appeso sopra il camino.
🇵🇹 Portuguese: O quadro está pendurado acima da lareira.
🌲 We wandered through the forest for hours.
movement inside an area
Show translationsHide translations🇪🇸 Spanish: Deambulamos por el bosque durante horas.
🇫🇷 French: Nous avons erré dans la forêt pendant des heures.
🇩🇪 German: Wir sind stundenlang durch den Wald gewandert.
🇮🇹 Italian: Abbiamo vagato attraverso la foresta per ore.
🇵🇹 Portuguese: Nós vagamos pela floresta por horas.
🚲 She rides along the beach every Saturday.
movement following the length of something
Show translationsHide translations🇪🇸 Spanish: Ella monta en bicicleta a lo largo de la playa todos los sábados.
🇫🇷 French: Elle fait du vélo le long de la plage tous les samedis.
🇩🇪 German: Sie fährt jeden Samstag am Strand entlang.
🇮🇹 Italian: Lei va in bici lungo la spiaggia ogni sabato.
🇵🇹 Portuguese: Ela anda de bicicleta ao longo da praia todos os sábados.
📅 Our family reunion is in August.
use in with a month
Show translationsHide translations🇪🇸 Spanish: Nuestra reunión familiar es en agosto.
🇫🇷 French: Notre réunion de famille a lieu en août.
🇩🇪 German: Unser Familientreffen ist im August.
🇮🇹 Italian: La nostra riunione di famiglia è in agosto.
🇵🇹 Portuguese: Nossa reunião de família é em agosto.
🎵 He's interested in classical music.
common combination: interested in
Show translationsHide translations🇪🇸 Spanish: Él está interesado en la música clásica.
🇫🇷 French: Il s'intéresse à la musique classique.
🇩🇪 German: Er interessiert sich für klassische Musik.
🇮🇹 Italian: Lui è interessato alla musica classica.
🇵🇹 Portuguese: Ele se interessa por música clássica.
🦅 An eagle circled above the canyon.
location higher than something
Show translationsHide translations🇪🇸 Spanish: Un águila circuló sobre el cañón.
🇫🇷 French: Un aigle a tourné au-dessus du canyon.
🇩🇪 German: Ein Adler kreiste über dem Canyon.
🇮🇹 Italian: Un'aquila ha girato sopra il canyon.
🇵🇹 Portuguese: Uma águia circundou acima do cânion.
Almost. Q2 and Q8 named the answer in the stem. Use this version.

🏆 Final Practice

English in the Real World:

Read the situation. Choose the preposition that fits.
Question 1 of 8
✅ Correct: 0
❓ Questions: 0
🎯 Accuracy: 0%