what is it?
A locative prepositional phrase places a person or thing at a fixed point in space. In Spanish, most of these phrases are compound prepositions: a location word followed by the linking particle de and then a noun phrase — for example, debajo de la mesa (under the table). The exception is entre, which takes no de at all. These phrases are used with the verbs estar (to be, for location) and hay (there is / there are) to describe where something is situated.
when to use it
Describing where something is — use estar + locative phrase: El libro está encima de la mesa.
Stating that something exists in a place — use hay + locative phrase: Hay un parque cerca de la escuela.
Expressing a position between two reference points — use entre ... y ...: La tienda está entre el banco y el hotel.
formation
All compound locative prepositions except entre follow the same pattern:
location word + de + article + noun → debajo de la mesa
When the article is el, de + el contracts to del: al lado del supermercado
entre takes no de and links two noun phrases with y: entre el parque y el río
| preposition | meaning | example phrase |
|---|---|---|
| debajo de | under / below | debajo de la silla |
| encima de | on top of / above | encima de la mesa |
| delante de | in front of | delante de la puerta |
| detrás de | behind | detrás del sofá |
| dentro de | inside | dentro de la caja |
| fuera de | outside | fuera de la casa |
| cerca de | near | cerca de la estación |
| lejos de | far from | lejos del centro |
| al lado de | next to / beside | al lado del banco |
| entre ... y | between | entre el parque y el río |
examples in context
common pitfalls
Dropping the linking de
Every compound locative (except entre) requires de before the noun phrase. Omitting it is a consistent error at this level.
✗ debajo la mesa · cerca la estación
✓ debajo de la mesa · cerca de la estación
Failing to contract de + el to del
When the noun after the locative takes the masculine singular article el, de + el must contract to del. This rule applies everywhere in Spanish, not only with locatives.
✗ al lado de el supermercado
✓ al lado del supermercado
Adding de after entre
Entre is a simple preposition, not a compound one. It connects directly to its noun phrase with no de in between.
✗ entre de las dos calles
✓ entre las dos calles