diante de / detrás de / preto de
Expressions of Place
To say where something is, use a place word + de: diante da casa (in front of the house), debaixo da mesa (under the table), preto de aquí (near here), lonxe do centro (far from the centre).
How It Works
The main pairs:
• diante de (in front of) and detrás de (behind)
• enriba de or encima de (on top of) and debaixo de (under)
• dentro de (inside) and fóra de (outside)
• preto de or cerca de (near) and lonxe de (far from)
• á beira de (next to, beside) and en fronte de (opposite)
Contraction: de joins a following article, as in do, da, dos, das: diante da casa, lonxe do centro. It also joins el and ela: detrás dela (behind her).
With other pronouns: use the forms that follow a preposition, as in min and ti: Séntate detrás de min (Sit behind me), preto de ti (near you).
Without a complement: leave out de when nothing follows: O coche está fóra (The car is outside), A praia está moi preto (The beach is very close). Words such as aquí and alí can follow de: preto de aquí (near here).
Galician forms: in front of is diante de. The word delante is Spanish, not Galician. Shorter prepositions such as tras and baixo are covered in more prepositions.
Examples (6)
- Hai un xardín diante da casa.
There is a garden in front of the house.
Word by Word: There-is a garden in-front of-the house.
de + a = da.
- O gato está debaixo da mesa.
The cat is under the table.
Word by Word: The cat is under of-the table.
- Vivo preto de aquí.
I live near here.
Word by Word: Live-I near of here.
- O hotel está lonxe do centro.
The hotel is far from the centre.
Word by Word: The hotel is far of-the centre.
de + o = do.
- Séntate detrás de min.
Sit behind me.
Word by Word: Sit-yourself behind of me.
After de, use the stressed pronoun min.
- Deixei as chaves enriba do moble.
I left the keys on top of the cabinet.
Word by Word: Left-I the keys on-top of-the cabinet.
Common Mistakes
Using the Spanish word delante.
O banco está delante da igrexa.O banco está diante da igrexa.Delante is Spanish. Galician says diante de for in front of.
Leaving out de before the noun.
O gato está debaixo a mesa.O gato está debaixo da mesa.These place words need de before a noun, and de joins the article: da mesa.
Not contracting de with the article.
Hai un xardín diante de a casa.Hai un xardín diante da casa.De and a must merge into da.
How It Connects
Learn This First
Place expressions such as diante de introduce a landmark after de.
Related Patterns
- aquí / aí / alíHere and There
Place adverbs that often follow these expressions, as in preto de aquí.
Level 1 - del / dela / nel / nelaContractions with Pronouns
The contractions used before el and ela, as in detrás dela.
Level 2 - min / ti After PrepositionsPronouns After Prepositions
The pronoun forms used after de, as in detrás de min.
Level 2 - ata / desde / entre / sobre / cara aMore Prepositions: Ata, Desde, Entre and Sobre
Single-word prepositions of place and direction.
Level 2 - The Preposition en
En gives a location in general, and these words give the exact position.
Level 1
Words in This Pattern
Practice diante de / detrás de / preto de in Bubblegum
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