en (preposició)

En for Inside, Medium and Language

Level 2

En appears in containment, language and several medium or transport expressions.

How It Works

Les claus són en un calaix describes containment inside an indefinite place. Ho escric en català identifies the language, without an article before català. En tren can identify the means of travel.

Do not confuse preposition en with weak pronoun en. In en català, en introduces a full phrase; in en tinc dos, it stands for an understood noun. The two have different positions and functions despite identical spelling.

Place-preposition choice is sensitive to the following phrase and regional usage. A city usually takes a in the basic model: a Girona. En un calaix and a casa are useful complete patterns, not proof that English in always maps to en. Amb also appears in transport expressions such as amb tren.

Examples (3)

  1. Les claus són en un calaix.

    The keys are in a drawer.

  2. Escriu el missatge en català.

    Write the message in Catalan.

  3. Venen en tren.

    They are coming by train.

How It Connects

Tap a pattern to see what it builds on and what it leads to.

en (preposició)Level 2En for Inside, Medium and Language

Learn This First

Recognize a place phrase before learning another preposition pattern.

Words in This Pattern