Language/Galician/Grammar/Common-Prepositions
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Welcome to your Galician journey! Today, we’re diving into the world of prepositions. These little words might seem small, but they play a huge role in connecting ideas and providing clarity in our sentences. Whether you're describing where something is or the time something happens, prepositions are essential. In this lesson, we will focus on some of the most common prepositions in Galician, such as "en," "sobre," and "a."
This lesson is designed for complete beginners, so don't worry if you've never encountered these words before. We'll build a strong foundation together! By the end of this lesson, you'll be able to understand and use these prepositions in various contexts, enhancing your ability to communicate in Galician.
Importance of Prepositions in Galician[edit | edit source]
Prepositions are the words that link nouns, pronouns, or phrases to other words within a sentence. They can indicate direction, time, location, and possession, among other things. In Galician, just like in English, prepositions help to create a clearer picture of what we’re trying to convey.
Let’s explore some of the most common prepositions used in Galician.
Common Prepositions in Galician[edit | edit source]
Here are some of the most frequently used prepositions in Galician, along with their meanings:
- en - in, on, at
- a - to, at
- de - of, from
- con - with
- sen - without
- sobre - on, about
- entre - between
- para - for, to
- diante de - in front of
- tras - behind
Usage of Common Prepositions[edit | edit source]
Let’s take a closer look at each preposition, along with examples to clarify their usage.
Preposition "en"[edit | edit source]
The preposition "en" is used to indicate location or position. It can mean "in," "on," or "at" depending on the context.
| Galician | Pronunciation | English |
|---|---|---|
| en casa | en 'ka.sa | at home |
| en mesa | en 'me.sa | on the table |
| en outubro | en ow'tu.βɾo | in October |
| en Galicia | en ɡa'li.θja | in Galicia |
Preposition "a"[edit | edit source]
The preposition "a" is primarily used to indicate direction or destination, and it can also mean "to" or "at."
| Galician | Pronunciation | English |
|---|---|---|
| a escola | a es'ko.la | to school |
| a casa | a 'ka.sa | to the house |
| a festa | a 'fes.ta | to the party |
| a praia | a 'pɾa.ja | to the beach |
Preposition "de"[edit | edit source]
The preposition "de" means "of" or "from." It is often used to indicate possession.
| Galician | Pronunciation | English |
|---|---|---|
| de Galicia | de ɡa'li.θja | from Galicia |
| o libro de María | o 'li.βɾo de ma'ɾi.a | the book of María |
| de día | de 'di.a | by day |
| de noite | de 'noi.te | by night |
Preposition "con"[edit | edit source]
"con" means "with" and is used to indicate companionship or the means by which something is done.
| Galician | Pronunciation | English |
|---|---|---|
| con amigos | kon a'mi.ɡos | with friends |
| con paciencia | kon pa'θjen.θja | with patience |
| con alegría | kon ale'ɡɾi.a | with joy |
| con cuidado | kon kwi'ða.ðo | with care |
Preposition "sen"[edit | edit source]
The preposition "sen" means "without." It indicates the absence of something.
| Galician | Pronunciation | English |
|---|---|---|
| sen azucre | sen a'θu.kɾe | without sugar |
| sen medo | sen 'me.ðo | without fear |
| sen roupa | sen 'ɾou.pa | without clothes |
| sen problemas | sen pɾo'βle.mas | without problems |
Preposition "sobre"[edit | edit source]
"sobre" can mean "on," "over," or "about," and is often used to indicate a topic or subject.
| Galician | Pronunciation | English |
|---|---|---|
| sobre a mesa | 'so.βɾe a 'me.sa | on the table |
| sobre Galicia | 'so.βɾe ɡa'li.θja | about Galicia |
| sobre a situación | 'so.βɾe a si.tʃua'θjon | about the situation |
| sobre a historia | 'so.βɾe a is'to.ɾja | about the history |
Preposition "entre"[edit | edit source]
The preposition "entre" means "between" and is used to indicate a position relative to two or more objects.
| Galician | Pronunciation | English |
|---|---|---|
| entre amigos | 'en.tɾe a'mi.ɡos | between friends |
| entre a casa e a escola | 'en.tɾe a 'ka.sa e a es'ko.la | between the house and the school |
| entre os libros | 'en.tɾe os 'li.βɾos | between the books |
| entre a xente | 'en.tɾe a 'ʃen.te | among the people |
Preposition "para"[edit | edit source]
The preposition "para" means "for" or "to" and is often used to indicate purpose or destination.
| Galician | Pronunciation | English |
|---|---|---|
| para ti | 'pa.ɾa ti | for you |
| para comer | 'pa.ɾa ko'meɾ | to eat |
| para a festa | 'pa.ɾa a 'fes.ta | for the party |
| para ir | 'pa.ɾa iɾ | to go |
Preposition "diante de"[edit | edit source]
"diante de" means "in front of" and is used to indicate location.
| Galician | Pronunciation | English |
|---|---|---|
| diante da casa | 'djan.te ða 'ka.sa | in front of the house |
| diante do coche | 'djan.te do 'ko.tʃe | in front of the car |
| diante da escola | 'djan.te ða es'ko.la | in front of the school |
| diante da xente | 'djan.te ða 'ʃen.te | in front of the people |
Preposition "tras"[edit | edit source]
The preposition "tras" means "behind" and indicates a position that is at the back of something.
| Galician | Pronunciation | English |
|---|---|---|
| tras a casa | tɾas a 'ka.sa | behind the house |
| tras o coche | tɾas o 'ko.tʃe | behind the car |
| tras a escola | tɾas a es'ko.la | behind the school |
| tras a xente | tɾas a 'ʃen.te | behind the people |
Practice Exercises[edit | edit source]
Now that you've learned about some common prepositions in Galician, let's put your knowledge to the test! Here are some exercises to practice using these prepositions.
Exercise 1: Fill in the Blanks[edit | edit source]
Complete the sentences with the correct preposition from the list: en, a, de, con, sen, sobre, entre, para, diante de, tras.
1. Vou ___ escola.
2. O libro é ___ María.
3. Queda ___ casa.
4. Como ___ amigos.
5. A festa é ___ sábado.
6. O coche está ___ a casa.
7. Quiero ir ___ praia.
8. O café é ___ azucre.
9. A reunión é ___ a tarde.
10. O gato está ___ a mesa.
Solutions:
1. a
2. de
3. en
4. con
5. en
6. diante de
7. á
8. sen
9. por
10. sobre
Exercise 2: Match the Preposition with its Meaning[edit | edit source]
Match the Galician prepositions with their English meanings.
| Galician | English |
|----------|---------|
| a | without |
| con | between |
| sen | to |
| entre | for |
| para | with |
| de | of |
Solutions:
- a → to
- con → with
- sen → without
- entre → between
- para → for
- de → of
Exercise 3: Rewrite the Sentences[edit | edit source]
Rewrite the following sentences, replacing the underlined word with the appropriate preposition.
1. O gato está na mesa. (replace na)
2. Vou a cidade. (replace a)
3. O coche está en o garaxe. (replace en)
4. Queda diante de a casa. (replace diante de)
5. O libro é de Juan. (replace de)
Solutions:
1. O gato está sobre a mesa.
2. Vou para a cidade.
3. O coche está tras o garaxe.
4. Queda tras a casa.
5. O libro é de María.
Conclusion[edit | edit source]
Congratulations on completing the lesson on common prepositions in Galician! You’ve expanded your vocabulary and gained a deeper understanding of how these essential words function within sentences. Remember, prepositions are the glue that holds your sentences together, helping to convey meaning and context.
As you continue your journey in learning Galician, keep practicing these prepositions in your conversations and writing. The more you use them, the more natural they will feel!
Happy learning!
Sources[edit | edit source]
Other Lessons[edit | edit source]
- The Galician Alphabet
- Irregular Verbs
- How to Use Have
- Negation
- Prepositions
- Future Tense
- Pronouns
- Present Tense
- Definite Articles in Galician
- Conditional Tense
| ◀️ Travel Vocabulary — Previous Lesson | Next Lesson — Prepositional Phrases ▶️ |