Spanish prepositional locutions

Regarding prepositional locutions, they are usually formed by 'preposition + noun + preposition'; but they can also be composed of 'adverb + preposition'. These are the most frequent Spanish prepositional locutions:

• A cargo de (In charge of)
• A causa de (On account of)
• A costa de (At the expense of)
• A falta de (For lack of)
• A fin de (At the end of)
• A fuerza de (On account of)
• A pesar de (In spite of/Despite)
• A propósito de (In spite of/Despite)
• A través de (Through)
• Al lado de (Next to)
• Alrededor de (Around)
• Antes de (Before)
• Cerca de (About)
• Con respecto a (With respect to)
• Con excepción de (Except for)
• De cara a (Facing)
• De conformidad con (In accordance with)
• De parte de (Of part of)
• Debajo de (Under)
• Delante de (In front of)
• Dentro de (Within)
• Después de (After)
• Detrás de (Behind)
• Encima de (Above)
• En bien de (Instead of)
• En lugar de (Instead of)
• En cuanto a (As for)
• En frente de (In front of)
• En medio de (In the middle of)
• En torno a (Around)
• Frente a (In front of)
• Junto a (Next to)
• Lejos de (Away from)
• Por causa de (Because of)
• Por culpa de (Because of)

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When we speak, we don't notice the words we use to connect sentences, but these particles are there, and they are important in grammar. These words are prepositions, something like the glue that holds words together and, with them, you can express the relationship between two ideas.

In Spanish there are a total of 23 prepositions, plus compound prepositions or prepositional locutions. So, if you want to know the list of prepositions in Spanish while you improve your knowledge of the language and prepare for your Spanish course in Spain, this is your article. You can also read this article in Spanish, French, Italian or Dutch.

What are Spanish prepositions?

Prepositions in Spanish, as in any other language, are words that establish a relationship between words in the same sentence. Their function is to connect nouns, pronouns or groups of words with other words to indicate a relationship of time, place, direction, cause or purpose in the same sentence.

On the other hand, there are Spanish prepositional locutions, a set of two or more words that function as a preposition. Although they are compound, they behave as a single preposition and have the same function as individual prepositions.

List of Spanish prepositions

Below you will find the list of Spanish prepositions:

• A (to/At)
• Ante (Before/In the presence of)
• Bajo (Under/Below)
• Cabe (Next to/Beside)
• Con (With)
• Contra (Against)
• De (Of/From)
• Desde (From/Since)
• Durante (During)
• En (In/On/Into/Upon/At/To)
• Entre (Among/Between)
• Hacia (Towards)
• Hasta (As far as/Until/Up to)
• Mediante (Through/By means of)
• Para (For/In order to)
• Por (For/Through/By)
• Según (According to)
• Sin (Without)
• So (Under)
• Sobre (On/Upon/About)
• Tras (After)
• Vía (Via/By way of)
• Versus (Versus/Against)

Although these are all the Spanish prepositions, some such as ‘cabe’ and ‘so’ are not used in spoken Spanish today; they appear sporadically in literary texts. Also, if you need a guide on how to use the prepositions por and para or the correct way to use contractions in Spanish, don't hesitate to visit our blog.

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Spanish prepositions

Discover the Spanish prepositions in this donQuijote article. The list of Spanish prepositions you need to complete your knowledge in Spanish.

Grammar Discover the Spanish prepositions in this donQuijote article. The list of Spanish prepositions you need to complete your knowledge in Spanish. Spanish prepositions, prepositions in Spanish, list of Spanish prepositions Off Marta Díaz

• No hay color (to be like apples and oranges): when there is no comparison between two things or situations. E.g.: No hay color entre los dos equipos; el primero es mucho mejor.
• Ponerse morado (to eat like a horse): when you eat or drink too much. E.g.: Se puso morado en la boda del sábado.
• Poner verde a alguien (to call someone every name in the book): to criticize someone or speak ill of that person. E.g.: Tras la cena, pusieron verde al camarero por su mala gestión.
• Ponerse rojo (to turn red as a beetroot): to blush, usually out of embarrassment, is synonymous with the expression 'ponerse como un tomate'. E.g.: Se puso rojo cuando le preguntaron sobre su vida personal.
• Quedarse en blanco (to go blank): to suddenly forget something during an important moment. E.g.: Durante la presentación, se quedó en blanco y no supo qué decir.
• Verlo todo de color de rosas (to see all peaches and cream): being very optimistic, seeing everything in a positive way. E.g.: Aunque tiene problemas, siempre lo ve todo de color de rosa.

In addition to all these idiomatic expressions in Spanish, there are many more that have nothing to do with Spanish colors, food in Spanish or parts of the body. For example: 'Dar en el clavo', when you get an argument right or 'Hablar del rey de Roma', when you are talking about a person, and he appears at that moment.

All these idiomatic expressions will help you to improve your knowledge of the language and to communicate like a native speaker with the locals in Spain. Most of these expressions are used in Spain, in other countries where Spanish is also spoken, they have their own expressions, although some of them do coincide.

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• No dar tu brazo a torcer (not budge an inch): when you don't give in to an argument or opinion. E.g.: Aunque todos estaban de acuerdo, él no dio su brazo a torcer.
• No tener pelos en la lengua (not mincing words): to say what you think straight out, in a direct way. E.g.: No tiene pelos en la lengua; siempre dice lo que piensa.
• No pegar ojo (not sleeping a wink): when you can't get to sleep. E.g.: Anoche no pegué ojo por el ruido en la calle.
• No tener un pelo de tonto (not a fool): to be very clever or cunning. E.g.: No intentes engañarlo, no tiene un pelo de tonto.
• No tener ni pies ni cabeza (without rhyme or reason): when something does not make sense or is illogical. E.g.: La historia que me contó no tiene ni pies ni cabeza.
• Poner la oreja (to put your ear): to listen attentively to or eavesdrop on another person's conversation. E.g.: Siempre está poniendo la oreja cuando hay alguna disputa.
• Salvarse por un pelo (a narrow escape): to escape a danger or situation by a hair's breadth. E.g.: Casi perdemos el tren, pero nos salvamos por un pelo.
• Ser el brazo derecho de alguien (to be sb’s right-hand man/woman): to be someone's most trusted person. E.g.: Rubén es el brazo derecho del director.
• Ser como uña y carne (to be like flesh and blood): to be very close to someone or to be inseparable. E.g.: Pedro y Juan han sido como uña y carne desde pequeños.
• Tener la cabeza llena de pájaros (to have a head full of birds): to be dreamy or not have one's feet on the ground. E.g.: Tiene la cabeza llena de pájaros, siempre soñando despierta.
• Tomarle el pelo a alguien (to pull someone’s leg): to pull someone's leg, usually as a joke. E.g.: No le hagas caso, solo te está tomando el pelo con esa historia.
• Tener cara dura (to be a cheeky person): to be shameless or shameless. E.g.: Tiene mucha cara dura para pedir más dinero tras su comportamiento.
• Tener los pies en el suelo (to put your feet on the ground): be realistic, don't get carried away by fantasies. E.g.: Aunque tiene grandes sueños, siempre mantiene los pies en el suelo.

Spanish idiomatic expressions with colors

• Buscar al príncipe azul (to look for Prince Charming): looking for the ideal or perfect partner. E.g.: Aún sueña con encontrar a su príncipe azul.
• Dar en el blanco (to hit the bullseye): to be right about something when you assume or statement. E.g.: Con su propuesta, dio en el blanco; todos estuvieron de acuerdo.
• Dar luz verde (to give the green light): to give permission for something to begin. E.g.: Dio luz verde al proyecto tras su presentación.
• Estar verde (to be very early stage): when you are unprepared or inexperienced in something. E.g.: Aún está verde en esta área; necesita más experiencia.
• Estar como una rosa (to feel as fresh as a daisy): to be in great health or look great. E.g.: Después de unas vacaciones, volvió al trabajo como una rosa.
• Estar sin blanca (to be broke): when you have no money. E.g.: Me quedé sin blanca tras las vacaciones en Nueva York.

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• Costar un ojo de la cara (to cost a fortune/to cost an arm and a leg): when something is very expensive. E.g.: Ese coche deportivo cuesta un ojo de la cara. 
• Dar la cara (face up): when someone takes responsibility for something. E.g.: Cuando hubo problemas, fue el único que dio la cara por mí.
• Echar un ojo (to keep an eye on sth/sb): when you keep an eye on or take care of something briefly. E.g.: ¿Puedes echarle un ojo a la comida mientras no estoy?
• Echar una mano (to lend a hand): when you help someone. E.g.: Necesito que me eches una mano con estos documentos.
• Empinar el codo (to have a few): when drinking alcohol in excess. E.g.: Después del trabajo, nos fuimos al bar a empinar el codo todo el equipo.
• Estar mal de la cabeza (to be out of your mind): used when someone is crazy. E.g.: No puedo creer que haya hecho eso; está mal de la cabeza.
• Estar hasta las narices (to be sick to death): when you are really fed up or tired of something or someone. E.g.: Estoy hasta las narices de tus mentiras; no te creo más.
• Hacer oídos sordos (to turn a deaf ear): when you ignore something on purpose. E.g.: Aunque se lo dijeron varias veces, hizo oídos sordos y siguió adelante.
• Hacer algo al pie de la letra (to do something to the T): when you do something exactly as instructed. E.g.: Siguió las instrucciones al pie de la letra y todo salió perfecto.
• Hablar por los codos (to talk nineteen to the dozen): when someone talks a lot or incessantly. E.g.: Rocío habla por los codos; a veces es difícil seguirle el ritmo.
• Hincar los codos (to swot): when you study hard and put a lot of effort into something, generally used for studies. E.g.: Si quieres aprobar, tendrás que hincar los codos las últimas semanas.
• Lavarse las manos (to pass the bucket): to wash one's hands of a problem or responsibility. E.g.: Se lavó las manos cuando le preguntaron qué había pasado.
• Levantarse con el pie izquierdo (to get out of bed on the wrong side): to start the day in a bad mood. E.g.: Diego se ha levantado con el pie izquierdo, tiene un humor horrible.
• Meter la pata (to screw up): to make a mistake, especially when saying something inappropriate. E.g.: Metí la pata al mencionar el tema.
• Morderse la lengua (to hold one's tongue/ bite one’s lip): to restrain oneself from saying something one thinks. E.g.: Quería decirle lo que pensaba, pero me mordí la lengua para no empeorar las cosas.

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