What's the personal a in Spanish?

The personal a is the preposition a inserted before a direct object that's a person. Veo a Juan (I see Juan), not Veo Juan. Doesn't translate to English. Required for human direct objects.

When do I use a + el vs. al?

Always use al, never a el. A + el always contracts to al. Same with de + el = del. Other combinations (a la, a los, a las, de la, etc.) stay separate.

What's the difference between por and para?

Both translate as for, but: por = cause / through / by / exchange / duration. Para = destination / purpose / deadline / recipient / opinion. See the dedicated por vs. para topic for full coverage.

How can I master Spanish prepositions?

Don't translate word-for-word. Memorize verb + preposition pairings (pensar en, soñar con, depender de). Practice por vs. para in real contexts. Native input through Parrot videos reinforces which preposition pairs with each verb.

Spanish grammar · Beginner

Spanish Prepositions: A, De, En, Por, Para, Con

Written by Sofia Ramirez, Lead Spanish Curriculum Editor · Reviewed May 2026

Spanish prepositions (a, de, en, con, por, para, sobre, entre, hasta, desde, sin, etc.) link nouns / pronouns / phrases to other parts of the sentence. The hardest pairs: por vs. para, ser vs. estar, a vs. en. Two obligatory contractions: a + el = al, de + el = del.

Voy a Madrid en avión.

I'm going to Madrid by plane.

What it is

Spanish prepositions link nouns, pronouns, and phrases to other parts of the sentence. The most common: a (to / at), de (from / of), en (in / on / at), con (with), por (for / through / by), para (for / in order to), sobre (on / about), entre (between), hasta (until), desde (from / since), sin (without). The hardest pair for learners: por vs. para. Two obligatory contractions: a + el = al, de + el = del.

Voy a Madrid en avión con mis amigos (I'm going to Madrid by plane with my friends), three prepositions in one sentence.

How to spot it

Spanish prepositions are short words that link phrases. Look for: a, de, en, con, por, para, sobre, entre, hasta, desde, sin, contra, hacia.

Estoy en Madrid. — I'm in Madrid.
Trabajo con mi hermano. — I work with my brother.
Vengo de la oficina. — I'm coming from the office.

Spanish prepositions often don't map one-to-one with English. Learn each preposition's range of uses, not just the closest English translation.

Spanish Prepositions Quick Reference

Core Spanish prepositions

Preposition	Main Uses	Example
a	to (direction); personal a	Voy a casa. Veo a Juan.
de	from, of, about	Vengo de Madrid. El libro de María.
en	in, on, at; by (transport)	En la casa. En coche.
con	with	Voy con María.
por	for, through, by, because of	Camino por el parque.
para	for, in order to, toward	Es para ti.
sobre	on, over, about	El libro está sobre la mesa.
sin	without	Café sin azúcar.

Common Spanish Prepositions Examples in Spanish

Spanish prepositions in real contexts:

A, Direction, Time, Personal

Voy a Madrid.: I'm going to Madrid.
Llego a las tres.: I arrive at three.
Veo a Juan.: I see Juan. (personal a)

Personal a is required before direct objects that are PEOPLE. Veo a Juan, not Veo Juan.

De, From, Of, About

Soy de México.: I'm from Mexico.
El libro de María.: María's book.
Hablo del problema.: I'm talking about the problem. (de + el = del)

De + el always contracts to del. De expresses origin, possession, topic, material.

En, In, On, At, By (Transport)

Vivo en Madrid.: I live in Madrid.
Los libros están en la mesa.: The books are on the table.
Viajo en tren.: I travel by train.

Spanish en covers in, on, at (often where English distinguishes them). And by for transport (en coche, en avión).

Personal A

Veo a mi madre.: I see my mother.
Llamo a Juan.: I'm calling Juan.
Conozco al profesor.: I know the teacher.

Required before any direct object that's a person (or sometimes a pet). Spanish marks human direct objects with a, different from English.

How Spanish Prepositions Work

Don't Translate Word-for-Word

Spanish prepositions don't always match English directly. Each Spanish preposition has its own range of uses.

Viajo en coche. (NOT con coche) Pienso en ti. (NOT sobre ti)

I travel by car. I'm thinking of you.

Memorize prepositional uses as fixed phrases. Pensar en, casarse con, soñar con, depender de, each verb has its preferred preposition.

A + El = Al, De + El = Del

Two obligatory contractions: a + el = al, de + el = del. Use them always.

Voy al cine. Vengo del trabajo.

I'm going to the cinema. I'm coming from work.

Only with masculine singular el. A la, a los, a las, de la, de los, de las stay separate.

Personal A Before Human Direct Objects

When the direct object is a person, Spanish inserts a (called the personal a). Required for clarity.

Veo a Juan. Conozco a tu madre. Busco a María.

I see Juan. I know your mother. I'm looking for María.

Personal a doesn't translate to anything in English. It marks the noun as a personal direct object. Sometimes also used with pets and personified entities.

Por vs. Para, Two Different For

Both translate as for, but: por = cause / through / by / exchange. Para = destination / purpose / deadline / opinion.

Estudio por mis padres (for / because of my parents). Estudio para aprender (in order to learn).

Two different fors with different scopes.

See the dedicated por vs. para topic for full coverage of this contrast.

Common Mistakes with Spanish Prepositions

Incorrect: Voy a el cine. — I'm going to the cinema.

Correct: Voy al cine. — I'm going to the cinema.

A + el must contract to al. Always. Never a el.

Incorrect: Pienso de ti. — I'm thinking of you.

Correct: Pienso en ti. — I'm thinking of you.

Pensar takes en (not de) for thinking ABOUT someone / something. Spanish prepositions don't match English. Memorize as fixed pairings.

Incorrect: Veo Juan. — I see Juan.

Correct: Veo a Juan. — I see Juan.

Personal a is required before human direct objects. Veo a Juan, not Veo Juan.

Personal A (Direct Object = Person)

Required Before Human Direct Objects

When the direct object is a person (or sometimes a beloved pet), insert a before it. This is called the personal a.

Veo a Juan.: I see Juan.
Conozco a tu madre.: I know your mother.
Llamo a María.: I'm calling María.

Doesn't translate to anything in English. Marks human direct objects in Spanish.

Doesn't Apply to Things

Personal a is NOT used before things or non-personal direct objects.

Veo la película.: I see the film.
Compro un libro.: I buy a book.

Only people (and sometimes pets / personified entities) trigger personal a.

Spanish Prepositions FAQs

What are the main Spanish prepositions?: Core prepositions: a (to / at), de (from / of), en (in / on / at), con (with), por (for / through / by), para (for / in order to), sobre (on / about), entre (between), hasta (until), desde (from / since), sin (without).
What's the personal a in Spanish?: The personal a is the preposition a inserted before a direct object that's a person. Veo a Juan (I see Juan), not Veo Juan. Doesn't translate to English. Required for human direct objects.
When do I use a + el vs. al?: Always use al, never a el. A + el always contracts to al. Same with de + el = del. Other combinations (a la, a los, a las, de la, etc.) stay separate.
What's the difference between por and para?: Both translate as for, but: por = cause / through / by / exchange / duration. Para = destination / purpose / deadline / recipient / opinion. See the dedicated por vs. para topic for full coverage.
How can I master Spanish prepositions?: Don't translate word-for-word. Memorize verb + preposition pairings (pensar en, soñar con, depender de). Practice por vs. para in real contexts. Native input through Parrot videos reinforces which preposition pairs with each verb.