Basic Prepositions in Catalan

Overview

Prepositions are small words that show relationships between other words in a sentence — relationships of place, time, direction, and manner. At the A1 level, you need to know the most common Catalan prepositions and how they behave, especially their contractions with articles.

The most frequently used prepositions in Catalan are a (to/at), de (of/from), en (in/on), amb (with), per (for/through/by), per a (for/intended for), sense (without), and entre (between). Many of these have multiple English translations depending on context, which can be confusing at first.

A distinctive feature of Catalan is that certain prepositions contract with the masculine definite articles el and els: a + el = al, de + el = del, per + el = pel. These contractions are mandatory and occur in both speech and writing.

How It Works

Common Prepositions

Preposition	Main meanings	Example
a	to, at	Vaig a Barcelona. (I go to Barcelona.)
de	of, from, about	Sóc de Girona. (I am from Girona.)
en	in, on	Visc en un pis. (I live in an apartment.)
amb	with	Vinc amb els meus amics. (I come with my friends.)
per	for, through, by	Passem per la plaça. (We pass through the square.)
per a	for (purpose/recipient)	És per a tu. (It's for you.)
sense	without	Cafè sense sucre. (Coffee without sugar.)
entre	between, among	Entre tu i jo. (Between you and me.)
fins (a)	until, up to	Fins demà. (Until tomorrow.)
des de	since, from	Des de dilluns. (Since Monday.)
sobre	on, about	El llibre sobre la taula. (The book on the table.)
sota	under	Sota el llit. (Under the bed.)

Contractions

Preposition + el	Result	Preposition + els	Result
a + el	al	a + els	als
de + el	del	de + els	dels
per + el	pel	per + els	pels

Note: No contraction occurs with la, les, or l'.

Examples in Context

Catalan	English	Note
Vaig a Barcelona.	I go to Barcelona.	Direction
El llibre del professor.	The teacher's book.	Possession (de+el)
Vinc amb els meus amics.	I come with my friends.	Accompaniment
És per a tu.	It's for you.	Recipient
Visc a prop de la platja.	I live near the beach.	Location
Passem pel parc.	We walk through the park.	Through (per+el)
Cafè sense llet.	Coffee without milk.	Without
Entre les sis i les set.	Between six and seven.	Time range
Fins a diumenge.	Until Sunday.	Time limit
Des de casa fins a la feina.	From home to work.	From...to

Common Mistakes

Forgetting contractions

• Wrong: Vaig a el mercat.
• Right: Vaig al mercat.
• Why: a + el must always contract to al. This is not optional.

Confusing "per" and "per a"

• Wrong: Això és per tu. (meaning "this is for you")
• Right: Això és per a tu.
• Why: "Per a" indicates the intended recipient or purpose. "Per" alone means "through," "because of," or indicates the agent in passive constructions.

Using "en" where "a" is needed for location

• Wrong: Sóc en Barcelona.
• Right: Sóc a Barcelona.
• Why: For cities and most locations, Catalan uses "a" (not "en") to indicate where you are.

Practice Tips

1. Learn prepositions in context, not in isolation. Memorize short phrases: "al matí" (in the morning), "a la tarda" (in the afternoon), "del meu amic" (of my friend).
2. Practice the three contraction sets (al/als, del/dels, pel/pels) until they become automatic. Write five sentences using each contraction.
3. When you are unsure whether to use "per" or "per a," ask yourself: is this about a recipient/purpose (per a) or about a cause/means/path (per)?

Related Concepts

• Contractions and Elision — detailed rules for contractions
• Location and Directions — using prepositions for places and directions