Spanish Location Phrases: En, Sobre, Debajo de, and Next To
Spanish location phrases: en, sobre, debajo de, and al lado de
Spanish location phrases tell you where a person or object is. In this lesson, you will use — in / on / at, — on / on top of, — under / below, — next to, — in front of, — behind, and — between.
You already know estar for location. Now you will combine estar with these location phrases to describe where familiar household objects are.
Using en for a general location
Use — in / on / at to place a person or thing in a general location.
- — The book is in the room.
- — The table is in the kitchen.
- — The sofa is in the living room.
- — The lamp is in the room.
is a broad location word. The surrounding noun tells you the place.
Using sobre for “on” or “on top of”
Use — on / on top of when one object is positioned on another surface.
- — The book is on the table.
- — The lamp is on the desk.
- — The phone is on the table.
gives a more specific position than the general word .
Using debajo de for “under” or “below”
Use — under / below when one thing is lower than another.
- — The book is under the table.
- — The chair is below the window.
- — The phone is under the book.
Treat as one complete location phrase. In a later lesson, you will study contractions such as del in more detail.
Using al lado de for “next to”
Use — next to when two people or things are beside each other.
- — The chair is next to the table.
- — The lamp is next to the bed.
- — The sofa is next to the window.
For now, learn as a complete location expression. Its internal contraction will be explained later in the course.
Using delante de for “in front of”
Use — in front of when one thing is positioned before another reference point.
- — The chair is in front of the table.
- — The sofa is in front of the window.
- — The chairs are in front of the table.
Listen for the reference object after de: la mesa and la ventana describe different positions.
Using detrás de for “behind”
Use — behind when one thing is on the far side of another reference point.
- — The lamp is behind the sofa.
- — The book is behind the box.
- — The boxes are behind the chair.
and describe opposite relationships, so keep both the location phrase and its reference object clear.
Using entre for “between”
Use — between when the position is defined by two reference points.
- — The chair is between the table and the window.
- — The book is between the lamp and the phone.
- — The chairs are between the table and the sofa.
With , listen for both reference points.
Comparing the required location phrases
| Spanish | English | Example |
|---|---|---|
| in / on / at | — The book is in the room. | |
| on / on top of | — The book is on the table. | |
| under / below | — The book is under the table. | |
| next to | — The chair is next to the table. | |
| in front of | — The chair is in front of the table. | |
| behind | — The lamp is behind the sofa. | |
| between | — The chair is between the table and the window. |
The main difference is how precisely each phrase describes position.
Asking where something is
Use ¿Dónde está…? — Where is…? for a singular object.
Person A: — Where is the book?
Person B: — It is on the table.
Person A: — Where is the lamp?
Person B: — It is next to the bed.
Once the object is clear, Spanish can omit the noun in the answer.
Asking where plural objects are
Use ¿Dónde están…? — Where are…? for plural objects.
Person A: — Where are the books?
Person B: — They are on the table.
Person A: — Where are the chairs?
Person B: — They are next to the table.
The verb changes from está to están because the subject is plural.
Describing several objects in one room
You can combine several location sentences to describe a room.
— The bed is in the room. The lamp is next to the bed. The book is on the desk. The chair is next to the desk.
Each sentence identifies one specific object and its position.
Using location phrases with familiar home vocabulary
- — The television is in the living room.
- — The sofa is next to the window.
- — The lamp is on the table.
- — The book is under the chair.
These phrases let you describe a room more precisely than simply naming the objects inside it.
Distinguishing general and specific position
Compare:
- — The book is in the room.
- — The book is on the table.
The first sentence gives a general location. The second gives a more precise position inside that location.
Describing a small scene
Read this short description:
— The table is in the kitchen. There is a chair next to the table. The phone is on the table. A book is under the chair.
This combines the existence word hay from the previous lesson with the location phrases from this lesson. The next lessons will help you hear and compare these structures more carefully.
A practical method for describing location
When you describe where an object is, use this sequence:
- Identify the object.
- Use está or están according to singular or plural.
- Choose the relationship you need: , , , , , , or .
- Add the reference place or object.
— The book is on the table.
From location phrases to listening for where things are
You can now use , , , , , , and with estar to describe the position of familiar objects. The next lesson is a listening lesson in which you will identify where different objects are from short Spanish descriptions.