Prepositions In Spanish: A, De, En, Con, Sin (And How To Use Them)

These five tiny words do a shocking amount of heavy lifting. Learn them once, and your Spanish instantly sounds less “Google Translate” and more “real person.”

Prepositions link ideas: where, to/from, with/without, about, how, and when. The good news: you don’t have to memorize a million rules—just learn the most common patterns and copy them.

Yak Box: Your One-Sentence Cheat

a = to/at (and “personal a”), de = of/from/about, en = in/on/at, con = with, sin = without. That’s it. Now let’s make it actually work in real sentences.

Quick Visual Cards

A

Meaning: to, at; marks an indirect object; used with people (“personal a”).

Example: Voy a casa. = I’m going to the house.

De

Meaning: of, from, about; shows origin, possession, material, topic.

Example: Soy de México. = I’m from Mexico.

En

Meaning: in, on, at; location and “within (time).”

Example: Estoy en la oficina. = I’m at the office.

Con

Meaning: with; accompaniment, tools, “having.”

Example: Voy con mi hermana. = I’m going with my sister.

Sin

Meaning: without; lack/absence.

Example: Café sin azúcar, por favor. = Coffee without sugar, please.

Bonus: Al & Del

Meaning: contractions: a + el = al, de + el = del.

Example: Voy al cine. = I’m going to the movies.

A: To, At, And The Personal “A”

A often points to a destination or a “target.” It’s also the MVP for people as direct objects (yes, Spanish is dramatic like that).

Destination (to): Vamos a la playa. = We’re going to the beach.
Time (at): La cita es a las tres. = The appointment is at three.
Indirect object (“to” someone): Le doy el libro a Ana. = I give the book to Ana.
Personal “a” (people as direct objects): Veo a mi mamá. = I see my mom.
Verb + a + infinitive: Aprendí a manejar. = I learned to drive.

Pattern	English Meaning	Example
ir a + place	to go to	¿Vas a la tienda? = Are you going to the store?
a + time	at (time)	Llego a las ocho. = I arrive at eight.
verb + person	personal “a”	Conozco a tu jefe. = I know your boss.
empezar a + infinitive	to start to	Empecé a estudiar. = I started to study.
ayudar a + person	to help (someone)	Ayudo a mis vecinos. = I help my neighbors.

Mini trap: Don’t use personal a with things. Veo la película (not veo a la película). Unless the movie is your friend. Then… maybe you need fresh air.

De: Of, From, About (The Swiss Army Preposition)

De is everywhere: possession, origin, topic, material, cause. If Spanish had a favorite preposition, it would be de.

Possession (of): Es el carro de Luis. = It’s Luis’s car.
Origin (from): Vengo de Guadalajara. = I come from Guadalajara.
Topic (about): Hablamos de trabajo. = We talked about work.
Material (made of): Una mesa de madera. = A wooden table (a table made of wood).
Cause (from/because of): Estoy cansado de tanto caminar. = I’m tired from walking so much.

Pattern	English Meaning	Example
ser de + place	to be from	Mis papás son de Puebla. = My parents are from Puebla.
hablar de + topic	to talk about	Hablemos de eso luego. = Let’s talk about that later.
después de	after	Nos vemos después de* la clase.* = See you after class.
antes de	before	Lávate las manos antes de* comer.* = Wash your hands before eating.
acordarse de + noun/inf.	to remember	¿Te acuerdas de llamarme? = Do you remember to call me?

En: In, On, At (Plus “In X Time”)

En is your location preposition. It answers “where?” and sometimes “how long until?”

Location (in/at): Estoy en casa. = I’m at home.
On a surface: Está en la mesa. = It’s on the table.
Transportation (in/by): Voy en Uber. = I’m going by Uber.
Time needed (in): Llego en diez minutos. = I’ll arrive in ten minutes.
Manner/format: En serio. = Seriously. / For real.

Pattern	English Meaning	Example
en + place	in/at	Nos vemos en el centro. = See you downtown.
en + surface	on	Tu celular está en el sofá. = Your phone is on the couch.
en + transport	by/in	Me voy en camión. = I’m leaving by bus.
en + time amount	in (time)	Lo termino en una hora. = I’ll finish it in an hour.
en + language	in (a language)	¿Cómo se dice en español? = How do you say it in Spanish?

Mexican Spanish note: You’ll hear en la mañana a lot in Mexico (also por la mañana in many places). Both are common and understood.

Con: With (People, Tools, And “Having”)

Con is the “with” you expect: accompaniment, tools, ingredients, and describing someone as “with” something (like “with a beard,” “with time,” “with patience”).

With someone: ¿Vienes con nosotros? = Are you coming with us?
With a tool: Corto el pan con un cuchillo. = I cut the bread with a knife.
Having (with): Un café con leche. = Coffee with milk.
Attitude: Hazlo con calma. = Do it calmly (with calm).
Dreaming about: Soñé con mi escuela. = I dreamed about my school.

Pattern	English Meaning	Example
con + person	with	Estoy con* mis primos.* = I’m with my cousins.
con + thing/tool	with/using	Lo hice con* mi compu.* = I did it on/using my computer.
con + food/ingredient	with	Tacos con* salsa.* = Tacos with salsa.
con + noun (quality)	with (having)	Una persona con* paciencia.* = A patient person (a person with patience).
con + pronoun	with me/you	Ven conmigo. = Come with me.

Small but important: con + mí becomes conmigo. And con + ti becomes contigo. Spanish said “nope” to the normal rules here.

Sin: Without (And “Without Doing Something”)

Sin is the cleanest one: “without.” It can connect to a noun or an infinitive.

Without + noun: Salí sin mi cartera. = I left without my wallet.
Without + infinitive (without doing): Se fue sin decir nada. = He left without saying anything.
No problem / no worries: Sin problema. = No problem.
“Not even” vibe: Sin querer, lo borré. = I deleted it unintentionally (without meaning to).

Pattern	English Meaning	Example
sin + noun	without	Un día sin* internet.* = A day without internet.
sin + infinitive	without doing	Me fui sin* pagar.* = I left without paying.
sin + querer	accidentally	Sin querer, te marqué. = I called you by accident.
sin + duda	without a doubt	Sin duda, es buen lugar. = Without a doubt, it’s a good place.
sin + prisa	no rush	Sin prisa. = No rush.

Two Big Confusions (Fixed Fast)

A Vs. En For Places

a is movement to a destination. en is location at/in a place.

Voy a la oficina. = I’m going to the office. (movement)
Estoy en la oficina. = I’m at the office. (location)

De Vs. Desde (Quick Note)

de can mean “from,” but it’s often about origin/possession/topic. desde is “from (starting at)” a point in time or place.

Soy de Monterrey. = I’m from Monterrey. (origin)
Trabajo desde las nueve. = I’ve been working since nine. (starting point in time)

Useful Phrases And Real-Life Sentences

Steal these as-is. That’s literally how fluency works.

Voy a salir en cinco minutos. = I’m going to leave in five minutes.
¿Me ayudas con esto? = Can you help me with this?
No salgo sin mi celular. = I don’t leave without my phone.
Estoy cansado de discutir. = I’m tired of arguing.
Nos vemos en la noche. = See you tonight.
Le mandé un mensaje a mi jefe. = I sent a message to my boss.
La llave está en mi bolsa. = The key is in my bag.
Quiero tacos con cebolla y sin cilantro. = I want tacos with onion and without cilantro.
¿De qué estás hablando? = What are you talking about?
Voy al súper. = I’m going to the supermarket.
Vengo de regreso. = I’m on my way back.
Estoy con sueño. = I’m sleepy. (literally “with sleep”)
Sin duda, tienes razón. = Without a doubt, you’re right.
Lo dejo en tu escritorio. = I’ll leave it on your desk.
Gracias por venir… ok ok, that one isn’t on the list—but you’ll hear it daily. = Thanks for coming.

Common Mistakes And Fast Fixes

Mistake: Estoy a la casa. Fix: Estoy en la casa. (Location uses en.)
Mistake: skipping the personal a. Fix: Veo a mi amigo. (People often need it.)
Mistake: con mi / con ti. Fix: conmigo, contigo.
Mistake: mixing sin and sino. Fix: sin = without; sino = “but rather.” No quiero té, sino café. = I don’t want tea, but rather coffee.
Mistake: forgetting contractions. Fix: Voy al parque, vengo del banco.

Practice Time (Don’t Peek… Yet)

Fill in the blank with a, de, en, con, or sin.

Voy ___ tu casa mañana.
Estoy ___ la cocina ahora.
Este regalo es ___ mi mamá.
¿Vienes ___ nosotros o no?
Me fui ___ pagar. Ups.
Hablamos ___ el plan después.
Llego ___ diez minutos.
Le marqué ___ Juan, pero no contestó.
Quiero una torta ___ jamón y ___ mayonesa.
Es el teléfono ___ Ana.

Answers

1) a 2) en 3) de 4) con 5) sin 6) de 7) en 8) a 9) con, sin 10) de

Quick Reference Cheat Sheet

Preposition	Main Meaning	Best-Guess Use	Real Example
a	to / at	movement, time, people (personal a), “to someone”	Le dije a Carlos. = I told Carlos.
de	of / from / about	origin, possession, topic, material, “after/before” phrases	La amiga de Sofía. = Sofía’s friend.
en	in / on / at	location, surfaces, transport, “in X minutes”	Nos vemos en el café. = See you at the café.
con	with	with someone, with a tool, “having” something	Pan con* mantequilla.* = Bread with butter.
sin	without	absence; “without doing” + infinitive	Sin hablar, entendió todo. = Without speaking, he understood everything.

FAQ (Tiny Questions, Huge Relief)

Do I always use the personal “a” with people?

Most of the time, yes—especially when a person is the direct object: Veo a Laura. You usually don’t use it with tener: Tengo un hermano (not tengo a un hermano).

Why is it “al” and “del” but not with “la”?

Because the contraction only happens with el (masculine “the”): a + el = al, de + el = del. With la, it stays separate: Voy a la farmacia, Vengo de la farmacia.

Is “en” always “in/on”?

It’s mostly location, but it also covers “in (time)” and some set phrases: en diez minutos = in ten minutes, en serio = seriously, en línea = online.

Final Yak

If you’re torn between a and en, ask yourself: “Am I moving?” If yes, it’s probably a. If you’re already there, it’s probably en.

Pick one preposition a day, steal 5 sentences, and use them in real life. Spanish doesn’t reward perfection—it rewards showing up.