Prepositions Comparison of Portuguese and Spanish

1 prepositions

1.1 contractions
1.2 personal
1.3 ir versus ir para
1.4 hacia , para
1.5 going future
1.6 other differences in preposition usage

prepositions
contractions

in spanish prepositions ( ) , de ( of, ) form contractions following masculine singular definite article (el ): + el > al, , de + el > del. kind of contraction more extensive in portuguese, involving prepositions ( ), de ( of, ), em ( in ), , por ( ) articles , demonstratives regardless of number or gender. 4 of these prepositions join definite article, shown in following table:

these portuguese contractions include potential false friends reader of spanish, such no (port. in , sp. no, not ) , dos (port. of , sp. 2 ).

in european portuguese, pronounced [ɐ], while à pronounced [a]. both [a] in of brazil, although in accents such carioca , florianopolitano there may distinction.

additionally, prepositions de , em combine demonstrative adjectives , pronouns shown below:

the neuter demonstrative pronouns (isto isso, aquilo ) likewise combine de , em – thus, disto, nisto, etc. , preposition combines distal demonstratives (those begin a-) form àquele, àquilo, etc.

the portuguese contractions mentioned far obligatory. contractions can optionally formed em , de indefinite article (um, uma, uns, umas), resulting in num, numa, dum, duma, etc. , third person pronouns (ele, ela, eles, elas), resulting in nele, nela, dele, dela, etc. other optional contractions include de aqui > daqui ( here ).

the spanish con ( , com in portuguese) combines prepositional pronouns mí, ti, , sí form conmigo, contigo, consigo ( me , , him-/herself ). in portuguese process not applies pronouns mim, ti, , si (giving comigo, contigo, , consigo), extended nós and, in varieties use it, vós, producing connosco (conosco in brazilian portuguese) , convosco.

personal

spanish employs preposition, so-called personal , before direct object of transitive verb (except tener) when denotes specific person(s), or domestic pet; veo juan see john ; hemos invitado los estudiantes ve invited students. in portuguese, personal virtually non-existent, except before deus god : louvar deus praise god , amar deus love god .

ir versus ir para

quite common in both languages prepositions (which translates ) , para (which translates ). however, european portuguese , spanish distinguish between going somewhere short while versus longer stay, if intended destination, in latter case using para instead of a. while there no specified duration of stay before european portuguese speaker must switch prepositions, implies 1 return sooner, rather later, relative context. distinction not made in english , brazilian portuguese. in spanish distinction not made if duration given in context (maybe implicitly), , in case preferred.

fui al mercado cerca de mi casa. (spanish)
fui ao mercado perto de/da minha casa./fui para o mercado perto de/da minha casa. (european , brazilian portuguese)
went market near house. [temporary displacement]


el presidente anterior fue exiliado portugal. (spanish)
o presidente anterior foi exilado para portugal. (european , brazilian portuguese)
former president exiled portugal. [permanent, or more lasting displacement]

note, though, in first example, para used in portuguese if in contrast brief period of time.

não fico muito tempo, só um minuto. tenho que/de ir para o mercado. (portuguese)
can t stay long, minute. have go market. [pending task or appointment]

in informal, non-standard brazilian portuguese, em (in original form or combined given article in contraction, yielding no, na, numa, etc.), replaces preposition standard portuguese.

vou na padaria. (non-standard brazilian portuguese)
vou à padaria. (standard portuguese)
m going bakery.


fui numa festa ontem. (non-standard brazilian portuguese)
fui uma festa ontem. (standard portuguese)
went party yesterday.

such construction not used in spanish or in european portuguese.

in portuguese preposition até can used when duration of stay expected short or when there specific reason going somewhere. in spanish hasta has same meaning , function.

vou até praia.
voy hasta la playa.
m going beach.

hacia , para

spanish has 2 prepositions of direction: para ( , including headed [a destination] ) , hacia ( toward [not implying arrival] ). of them, para exists in portuguese, covering both meanings.

este regalo es para ti. (spanish)
este presente é para ti. (portuguese)
gift you.


aquel/ese avión va hacia brasilia. (spanish)
aquele avião voa para brasília. (portuguese)
airplane flying toward brasília.

colloquially, para reduced in both languages: pa in spanish, , pra (sometimes written p ra , form may used in literature) or pa (only in slang in portugal , rio de janeiro, , not permitted in writing) in portuguese. portuguese pra, in turn, may join definite article: pra + o > pro (bp) or prò (ep), pra + > pra (bp) or prà (ep), etc. in reference slang option pa, these become: pa + o > pò, pa + > pà, etc.

going future

both languages have construction similar english going-to future. spanish includes preposition between conjugated form of ir go , infinitive: vamos cantar re going sing or let s sing (present tense of ir + + infinitive). usually, in portuguese, there no preposition between helping verb , main verb: vamos cantar (present tense of ir + infinitive). applies when verb in other tenses:

ayer yo iba leer el libro, pero no tuve la oportunidad. (spanish)
ontem eu ia ler o livro, mas não tive oportunidade. (portuguese)
yesterday going read book, never had chance.

other differences in preposition usage

while rule same prepositions used in same contexts in both languages, there many exceptions.

nuestros gastos de energía. (spanish)
(os) nossos gastos com/de energia. (portuguese)
our energy expenses.


voy votar por juan. (spanish)
vou votar em/no joão. (portuguese)
i m going vote john.




^ see list @ wikipedia in portuguese: list of contracted prepositions
^ ackerlind & jones-kellog (2011:90n1)
^ jacques de bruyne, comprehensive spanish grammar (oxford: blackwell, 1995), §752.
^ aurélio defines words pra¹ syncopated form of para, , pra² , pro contraction of pra¹ plus article.