Spanish
Grade 3
15 min
Preposiciones de Lugar - parte 2
Introduce more prepositions of place: delante de (in front of), detrás de (behind), entre (between).
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Introduction & Learning Objectives
Learning Objectives
Identify the location of objects in a house using 'al lado de', 'entre', 'detrás de', 'delante de', and 'cerca de'.
Form complete Spanish sentences to describe where an object is located relative to another.
Ask '¿Dónde está...?' to inquire about an object's location.
Correctly use the contraction 'del' (de + el) in location phrases.
Differentiate between 'detrás de' (behind) and 'delante de' (in front of) using visual cues.
Listen to a description and correctly place an object in a picture of a room.
Look around your room! Is your backpack next to your desk or behind your chair? 🎒 Let's learn how to say that in Spanish!
Today, we will learn new words cal...
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Key Concepts & Vocabulary
TermDefinitionExample
al lado deMeans 'next to' or 'beside'. You use it when two things are side-by-side.La silla está al lado de la mesa. (The chair is next to the table.)
entreMeans 'between'. You use it when something is in the middle of two other things.El perro está entre el sofá y la silla. (The dog is between the sofa and the chair.)
detrás deMeans 'behind'. You use it when something is at the back of another object.La mochila está detrás de la puerta. (The backpack is behind the door.)
delante deMeans 'in front of'. You use it when something is at the front of another object.Los zapatos están delante de la cama. (The shoes are in front of the bed.)
cerca deMeans 'near' or 'close to'. It's for things that ar...
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Grammar Rules & Patterns
Sentence Structure Formula
[Object] + está + [preposition] + [reference object].
To say where something is, start with the object, use the verb 'está' (is), add your preposition, and finish with the object you are using for location.
The 'de' Rule
al lado de, detrás de, delante de, cerca de, lejos de
Many of our new prepositions are two or three words long. Don't forget to include the word 'de' after the first part. The word 'entre' does not need 'de'.
The Contraction 'del'
de + el = del
When the word 'de' is followed by the word 'el' (the masculine 'the'), they squish together to become 'del'. You do not combine 'de' with 'la', 'los'...
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Challenging
Which sentence is impossible or does not make sense because of the preposition used?
A.El perro está detrás del sofá.
B.La mesa está entre la silla.
C.El libro está al lado de la lámpara.
D.El niño está delante de la casa.
Challenging
The boy is in front of the sofa. The cat is behind the boy. From the cat's point of view, where is the sofa?
A.El sofá está delante del niño.
B.El sofá está detrás del niño.
C.El sofá está detrás del gato.
D.El sofá está delante del gato.
Challenging
Find the sentence with a mistake. The mistake could be a wrong preposition or a grammar error from the tutorial.
A.La mochila está detrás de la puerta.
B.El perro está entre el sofá y la silla.
C.El coche está delante de el casa.
D.La lámpara está cerca de la ventana.
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