Prepositions of place are used to show where something is located and they are always found after the principal verb, regardless of the verb tense. These prepositions are most often used with the verb “to be”.
We have already seen the various uses of the three most common prepositions (“in”, “at”, “on”) in the previous lesson. Below you will find many other prepositions of place.
NEXT TO (BESIDE)
Meaning: adjacent or by the side of
Use: “Next to” and “beside” can be used interchangeably as the meaning is the same. The use of one over the other depends on the speaker and the context.
| | The supermarket is next to (beside) the bank. |
BY
Meaning: in proximity to, near
Use: “By” may be used in the same contexts as “next to” or “beside”, but the meaning is closer to “near” rather than directly adjacent.
| | Our house is by the river. |
BETWEEN
Meaning: in the time or space that separates
| | The shop is between the bank and the train station. |
| | She is standing between Peter and John. |
BEHIND
Meaning: in back of, to the rear of
| | The church is behind the school. |
| | He is standing behind you. |
IN FRONT OF vs. OPPOSITE
Meaning: the opposite of “behind” (when talking about people…see below) or across from
Use: We differentiate between these two prepositions when we are speaking about people. “Opposite” indicates that two people are facing one another (face to face), while “in front of” implies that one person is ahead of the other with their back to the person behind, as in a line or queue.
| | The hotel is in front of the station. |
| | The bank is opposite the market. |
| | Laura is standing in front of you. |
| | She is sitting opposite me. |
UNDER
Meaning: below or beneath, implying the object is covered by something
| | The ball is under the chair. |
| | The dog is under the tree. |
ABOVE
Meaning: used in making comparisons, implying at a higher place than
| | The clock is above the table. |
BELOW
Meaning: used in making comparisons, implying at a lower place than
| | The table is below the clock. |
Las preposiciones de lugar se colocan detrás del verbo principal, que suele ser el verbo “to be” (estar, ser) en cualquiera de los tiempos pasados, presentes o futuros y en sus formas tanto simples como compuestas.
Ya hemos visto los diferentes usos de las tres preposiciones más comunes (“in”, “at”, “on”) en la lección anterior. A continuación encontrarás otras preposiciones de lugar.
NEXT TO (BESIDE)
Significado: al lado de, junto a
Uso: Tanto “next to” como “beside” se pueden utilizar indistintamente. Utilizar una forma u otra dependerá del hablante y del contexto.
Ejemplos:
| | The supermarket is next to (beside) the bank.(El supermercado está al lado del banco.) |
| | Sit next to (beside) me.(Siéntate a mi lado.) |
BY
Significado: cerca, al lado de, junto a
Uso: Se puede utilizar en los mismos contextos que “next to” pero el significado de “by” es más como “cerca” en castellano.
Ejemplos:
| | I sit by the window.(Me siento al lado de la ventana.) |
| | Our house is by the river.(Nuestra casa está cerca del río.) |
BETWEEN
Significado: entre
Ejemplos:
| | The shop is between the bank and the train station.(La tienda está entre el banco y la estación de tren.) |
| | She is standing between Peter and John.(Ella está de pie entre Pedro y Juan.) |
BEHIND
Significado: detrás de
Ejemplos:
| | The church is behind the school.(La iglesia está detrás de la escuela.) |
| | He is standing behind you.(Está de pie detrás de ti.) |
IN FRONT OF vs. OPPOSITE
Significado: contrario, en frente de, opuesto, delante de
Uso: La diferencia entre estas preposiciones la notamos cuando estamos hablando de personas: “opposite” significa delante y cara a cara, en cambio “in front of” significa delante de pero no cara a cara.
Ejemplos:
| | The hotel is in front of the station.(El hotel está en frente de la estación.) |
| | The bank is opposite the market.(El banco está delante del mercado.) |
| | Laura is standing in front of you.(Laura está de pie delante de ti.) |
| | She is sitting opposite me.(Se está sentando en frente de mí.) |
UNDER
Significado: debajo de
Ejemplos:
| | The ball is under the chair.(La pelota está debajo de la silla.) |
| | The dog is under the tree.(El perro está debajo del árbol.) |
ABOVE
Significado: por encima sin tocar
Ejemplo:
| | The clock is above the table.(El reloj está por encima de la mesa, en la misma pared.) |
BELOW
Significado: por debajo sin tocar
Ejemplo:
| | The table is below the clock.(La mesa está por debajo del reloj, en la misma pared.) |
