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Spanish Prepositions
Uses of the Preposition "de"
©RCAguilar
OBJECTIVE:
Really get down on the prepositions and their usages.
TASK:
Associatea concept of from with the sound de.
PERPLEXED?

¿ ... de qué será ?

What's a "preposition?"
A preposition seems to be one of those little sounds that you make to designate a specific direction, location, area, etc. that doesn't have any other way of being described.
Prepositions are the hardest part of a language to get down, so work them to death by just repeating the phrases over and over again. They'll ingrain by themselves.
This preposition most often means "of" or "from"
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Simple Prepostions
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contra
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durante
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para
por
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según
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tras
Compound Prepositions
a causa de
acerca de
además de
adversamente a
a excepción de
a fuerza de
alrededor de
al través de
a menos de
antes de
a pesar de
cerca de
concerniente a
conforme a
congruamente a
contrario a
correspondiente a
debajo de
delante de
dentro de
después de
detrás de
en cuanto a
en frente de
en vez de
en virtud de
frente a
fuera de
junto a
lejos de
por causa de
por parte de
por razón de
relativamente a
respeto a
sin embargo de
tocante a

 
Basic questions using de:
¿De dónde ...?
¿De qué ...?
¿De quién ...?
¿De quiénes ...?
¿De qué hora?
From where?
Out of what?
Whose? singular
Whose? plural
From what time?
The preposition de is another term which is highly over-worked in Spanish. Study one section at a time, and work it to death, until you're more or less certain of that usage, then move on to another usage. Don't try to learn these all at one sitting.
Explanations of the uses of the preposition "de" ...
   
I.
... functions as from in most senses of the word.
II.
... functions as out of, when dealing with materials of which things are made.
III.
... functions as from, telling a beginning point in time.
IV.
... functions as of, when indicating ownership or possession.
V.
... functions as of, when indicating parts of a whole.
VI.
... functions as for, when indicating the purpose of something.
VII.
... indicates a distinctive feature or characteristic.
VIII.
... indicates type, use, or class.
IX.
... indicates cause, when meaning by, for, on account of:
X.
... functions as about, in instances where of can be substituted.
XI.
... functions as than: more than 2, less than 5
XII.
... formation of "the date"
   
I.
De functions as from in most senses of the word.
In the following instances, de tells point of origin: from somewhere or someone.
From where ?
From whom ?
¿ De dónde ?
¿ De quién ?
... de España ... ... from Spain.
... de Chicago ... ... from Chicago.
... de Europa ... ... from Europe.
... de Papá ... ... from Dad.
... del Señor Gonzalez. ... from Mr. Gonzalez.
... de la Señora Marinela. ... from Mrs.Marinela.
 
II.
De functions as out of, when dealing with materials of which things are made.
... (made) out of what ?
¿ ... (Hecho) de qué?
... de metal. ... (made) out of metal.
... de plástico. ... (made) out of plastic.
... de madera. ... (made) out of wood.
... de seda. ... (made) out of silk.
... de papel. ... (made) out of paper.
... de materiales no conocidos. ... (made) out of unknown materials.
... de algo dulce. ... (made) out of something sweet.
 
III.
De functions as from, telling a beginning point in time.
... from when to when ?
¿ ... de cuándo a cuándo?
... de la una de la mañana ... ... from 1:00 am ...
... de las dos y media de la tarde ... ... from 2:30 pm ...
... de las tres y cuarto de la mañana ... ... from 3:15 am ...
... de las cuatro y veinte y cinco de la tarde ... ... from 4:25 pm ...
... de las cinco y media de la mañana ... ... from 5:30 am ...
... de las seis y cuarenta y dos de la tarde... ... from 6:42 pm ...
... de las siete y dos de la noche ... ... from 7:02 pm ...
... de las ocho y diez de la tarde ... ... from 8:10 pm ...
... de las nueve de la tarde ... ... from 9:00 pm ...
... de las diez y cincuenta de la mañana ... ... from 10:50 am ...
... de las once y cinco de la noche ... ... from 11:05 pm ...
... de las doce ... ... from 12:00 ...
... de medianoche ... ... from midnight ...
... del mediodía ... ... from noon ...
... de enero ... ... from January ...
... de marzo ... ... from March ...
... de abril ... ... from April ...
... de agosto ... ... from August ...
... del dos de mayo ... ... from May 2nd ...
... del cuatro de julio ... ... from July 4th ...
... del diez y seis de octubre ... ... from October 16th ...
... del veinte de febrero ... ... from February 20th ...
De in these instances merely indicates a beginning. Use desde to imply from this point onward.
 
IV.
De functions as of, when indicating ownership or possession.
Whose?
¿ De quién ?
... el carro de mi Papá. ... Dad's car. (... the car of Dad...)
... la casa de los Rodriguez. ... the Rodriguez' house.
... la música de Beethoven. ... Beethoven's music. (... the music of/from Beethoven.)
... los libros de Cervantes. ... Cervantes' books. (... the books of Cervantes ...)
... los zapatos del niño. ... the child's shoes.
Note that the possessive construction is backwards from English. There is no "apostrophe construction" in Spanish, hence you always have to say "the/a something of something or someone."
 
V.
De functions as of, when indicating parts of a whole.
Which one?
Which ones?
¿ Cuál ?
¿ Cuáles ?
... las llantas del carro. ... the tires of the car.
... la luz del sol. ... the light of the sun.
... el respaldo de una silla. ... the back of a chair.
... las flores del jardín. ... the flowers of the garden.
... el pelo de la llama. ... the hair of a llama.
 
VI.
De functions as for, when indicating the purpose of something.
... la máquina de lavar. ... the washing machine.
... la máquina de escribir. ... the typewriter.
... una caña de pescar. ... a fishing pole.
... un molinillo de café. ... a coffee grinder.
... un carro de equipaje. ... a baggage car.
 
VII.
De precedes a noun to indicate a distinctive feature or characteristic.
La señora de la nariz ... The lady with the nose ...
Una niña de doce años ... A twelve year old girl ...
Un hombre de talento ... A man of talent ...
Una señora de virtud ... A woman of virtue ...
El hijo de la tomada ... The son that drinks too much ...
 
VIII.
De precedes a noun to indicate type, use, or class.
Una colección de minerales ... A collection of minerals ...
Una colección de arañas ... A collection of spiders ...
... cloruro de sodio ... ... sodium chloride ...
... cloruro de potasio ... ... potassium chloride ...
... sierra de mano ... ... handsaw ...
... sierra de vaivén ... ... jigsaw ...
IX.
De indicates cause, when meaning by, for, on account of:
... ciego de cólera ... ... blind with rage ...
... loco de alegría ... ... wild with happiness ...
... muerto de hambre ... ... dead from hunger ...
... lleno de orgullo ... ... full of pride ...
... muerto de susto ... ... dead of fright ...
X.
De functions as about, in instances where of can be substituted.
About what?
About whom?
¿ De qué ?
¿ De quién ?
No sé nada de eso. I know nothing about (of) that.
Hablamos del dinero. We're speaking about (of) money.
... de los adjetivos ... ... about (of) adjectives ...
... informado del propósito ... ... informed about (of) the purpose ...
... su opinión de mis obras ... ... his opinion about (of) my works ...
XI.
De functions as than, when using numerical constructions: more than number, less than number
More than how many ?
Less than how many ?
¿ Más de cuántos ?
¿ Menos de cuántos ?
... más de 5 ... ... more than five ...