ROP: Lección de repaso - The Preposition DE

Lección de repaso - The Preposition de

Learning a new language can be a challenging and time-consuming process, but with the right tools and techniques, it is possible to achieve fluency and speak like a native. One powerful tool that can help language learners to make rapid progress is repetition.

Repetition

Repetition is the act of repeating something, whether it be a word, phrase, lesson, or concept in order to reinforce it in the mind. When it comes to language learning, repetition can be a highly effective way to improve pronunciation, build vocabulary, and increase fluency.

What to Expect?

In this course, we will provide lecciones de repaso – review lessons, which can be used as lessons for repetition. We will also provide tips and strategies for incorporating repetition into your Spanish language learning routine. By the end of this course, you will have a better understanding of the power of repetition when learning a second language.

The Preposition DE

In English, when we express possession, we often use a special ending which includes the letter s and an apostrophe ('s/s'):

  • Singular: the dog's bowl
  • Plural: the boys' friends

Spanish will not use a formation like this, instead using a prepositional phrase featuring the word de. There is no apostrophe s in Spanish!

Spanish Possession with De

Have a look at these examples to see how it works:

  • La abuela de Lucía. - Lucía's grandma.
  • El libro de mi hermana. - My sister's book.
  • Los lápices de mi hermano. - My brother’s pencils.
  • Los amigos de Carlota. - Carlota's friends.

As you can see, in Spanish the word order is different from the English use of 's.

In Spanish, we name the possession first, the preposition, and then the possessor. So, we see:

  • la abuela (possession)
  • de (preposition)
  • Lucía (possessor)

Which gives us the literal translation: the grandma of Lucía.

Contractions with De

Spanish uses contractions, and one of them involves the preposition de. If the article el comes after de you need to contract the two words to del:

  • El cuaderno del estudiante. - The student's notebook.
    • del takes the place of "de el" (you can see why del would be preferred, right?)

On the other hand, you will not contract in front of the feminine article la:

  • El cuaderno de la niña. - The girl's notebook.

Video Lesson

A notebook and pen with ¡Toma apuntes! written on it.Watch this video lesson to see more examples on how to use preposition de. Don´t forget: necesitas un lápiz y un cuaderno para tomar notas (you need a pencil and notebook to take notes).

Reminder: the speaker in this video uses a regional pronunciation of the Spanish LL sound. In our previous lesson, we learned that LL makes a y sound in Spanish: me llamo = me yamo. However, in some regional dialects of Spanish, the LL sound makes a sound closer to the English J sound: me llamo = me jamo. The narrator in the following video uses this alternate pronunciation.  For our course, you are expected to use the standard y pronunciation for LL.

Video credit: Spanish Pod 101 - Innovative Language (mobileapps@innovativelanguage.com)

A stick note with La actividad de práctica written on it.

Practice Activity

Let’s practice together. All practice activities have unlimited attempts. Practice as many times as you need. 

NOTE: You are required to use information from this course to complete all practice activities. Additionally, fill-in-the-blank activities can be very particular: if an item is marked incorrect, double check that it wasn't something as minor as an extra space or a capital letter in the wrong place!

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