Prepositions are small words usually found in front of a noun that help establish its relation to another word in the sentence. Examples of prepositions in English include: in, under, with, for etc. Spanish has three key prepositions to do with location: a, de, en.
A (to, towards)
A is used with verbs of motion expressing movement towards a destination.
They are going to Cuba. Van a Cuba.
I am walking towards the man. Camino al* hombre.
*When a is coupled with a masculine singular noun a contraction occurs (a + el = al)
De (of, from)
De is used with verbs of motion expressing movement from a destination.
I am arriving from Miami soon. Llego de Miami pronto.
I am from the north. Soy del* norte.
*When de is coupled with a masculine singular noun a contraction occurs (de + el = del)
En (in, on, at)
En is used with verbs expressing where something is located at a given time.
I live in Boston. Vivo en Boston.
We are on the plane. Estamos en el avión.
