Prepositions of Place: Identifying and Using Correct Prepositions
In Portuguese, prepositions play a crucial role in indicating the location and direction of objects. Mastering the correct prepositions will help you describe the position of objects accurately. In this guide, we will cover the common prepositions of place in Portuguese and provide explanations in English to facilitate your learning process.
1. Basic Prepositions
"em" (in, on)
- Used to indicate being inside or on top of something.
- Can also express being present in a specific location.
- Example: Estou em casa. (I am at home.)
"em cima de" (on top of)
- Indicates something being physically on top of another object.
- Example: O livro está em cima da mesa. (The book is on top of the table.)
"ao lado de" (beside)
- Used to describe the location of something or someone that is next to another object or person.
- Example: A padaria fica ao lado do banco. (The bakery is beside the bank.)
"atrás de" (behind)
- Denotes the position of something that is located at the back or behind another object.
- Example: A casa está atrás da árvore. (The house is behind the tree.)
"na frente de" (in front of)
- Indicates the location of something that is situated in front of another object.
- Example: O carro está na frente da garagem. (The car is in front of the garage.)
"entre" (between)
- Used to express the position of something or someone that is located between two objects or people.
- Example: A bola está entre os dois jogadores. (The ball is between the two players.)
"debaixo de" (underneath)
- Denotes the position of something that is located beneath or under another object.
- Example: A mala está debaixo da cama. (The suitcase is underneath the bed.)
"dentro de" (inside)
- Indicates the location of something or someone that is enclosed or found within another object.
- Example: O livro está dentro da mochila. (The book is inside the backpack.)
"fora de" (outside)
- Used to express the position of something or someone that is located outside of a specific place.
- Example: A criança está fora de casa. (The child is outside the house.)
2. Advanced Prepositions
"perto de" (near)
- Denotes the position of something or someone that is located close to another object or person.
- Example: A loja fica perto da estação de trem. (The shop is near the train station.)
"longe de" (far from)
- Used to express the distance between something or someone and another object or place.
- Example: A praia fica longe da cidade. (The beach is far from the city.)
"à esquerda de" (to the left of)
- Indicates the position of something or someone that is located to the left of another object or person.
- Example: A loja está à esquerda do restaurante. (The store is to the left of the restaurant.)
"à direita de" (to the right of)
- Denotes the position of something or someone that is located to the right of another object or person.
- Example: A escola está à direita do hospital. (The school is to the right of the hospital.)
"no meio de" (in the middle of)
- Used to express the position of something or someone that is located in the middle of two or more objects or people.
- Example: O parque está no meio das duas ruas. (The park is in the middle of the two streets.)
"acima de" (above)
- Indicates the position of something that is located above or higher than another object.
- Example: O quadro está acima do sofá. (The painting is above the sofa.)
"abaixo de" (below)
- Denotes the position of something that is located below or lower than another object.
- Example: O tapete está abaixo da mesa. (The rug is below the table.)
"no final de" (at the end of)
- Used to express the position of something that is located at the end of a sequence or a specific place.
- Example: A casa está no final da rua. (The house is at the end of the street.)
"ao redor de" (around)
- Indicates the position of something or someone that is located surrounding another object or person.
- Example: As pessoas estão ao redor da mesa. (The people are around the table.)
Conclusion
By mastering the prepositions of place in Portuguese, you will be able to accurately describe the location and direction of objects. Remember to practice using these prepositions in different contexts to reinforce your understanding.