# Locating things: encima de, debajo de, entre, frente a

> id: grammar.prepositions.location · category: grammar · depth: standard · levels: A2 · review: internally_reviewed

**Summary.** Compound locatives: encima de / sobre (on), debajo de (under), delante de / frente a (in front of), detrás de (behind), al lado de (next to), entre (between), cerca de / lejos de.

Spatial relationships use a family of compound locatives, most built as adverb + de: encima de / sobre ('on, on top of'), debajo de ('under'), delante de / frente a ('in front of'), detrás de ('behind'), al lado de ('next to'), dentro de ('inside'), fuera de ('outside'), cerca de / lejos de ('near/far from').

Drop the de when no noun follows: está cerca ('it's nearby'), quedó dentro, lo dejé encima. With a noun, the de is required: cerca del centro, encima de la mesa, detrás de la puerta.

A few specifics: entre ('between/among') takes subject pronouns — entre tú y yo; sobre also means 'about' a topic (un libro sobre historia); and frente a / enfrente de are interchangeable for 'facing, opposite'.

## Examples
- El banco está al lado de la farmacia. — The bank is next to the pharmacy.
- Deja las llaves encima de la mesa. — Leave the keys on the table.
- El gato está debajo de la cama y el perro, al lado de la puerta. — The cat is under the bed and the dog is next to the door.

Related: grammar.prepositions.en-uses, grammar.adverbs.place, grammar.prepositions.compound

License: CC BY-SA 4.0 — Spanish Rules Library — spanishruleslibrary.com