Spanish · B1 · Family moment
Everything In Place in Spanish
Establish a morning routine by teaching your child where school items belong using Spanish spatial prepositions and verbs of placement.
What you'll learn
- Identify common school items in Spanish
- Use prepositions of place like 'detrás de', 'delante de', and 'entre'
- Distinguish between verbs of movement (poner, colgar) and verbs of location (estar)
Spanish phrases for everything in place
Cuelga tu bolsa de natación en la pared.
Hang your swimming bag on the wall.
Uses the imperative 'cuelga' (hang) for a command.
Tu bolsa de natación está colgada en la pared.
Your swimming bag is hanging on the wall.
Uses 'estar' + participle 'colgada' to describe the current state.
Pon tu mochila detrás de la silla.
Put your school bag behind the chair.
'Pon' is the short imperative form of 'poner'.
Tu mochila está detrás de la silla.
Your school bag is standing behind the chair.
Spanish usually uses 'estar' for location rather than 'standing'.
Pon tus zapatillas delante del armario.
Put your trainers in front of the cupboard.
Remember 'delante de' + 'el' becomes 'delante del'.
Tus zapatillas están delante del armario.
Your trainers are standing in front of the cupboard.
Commonly used for footwear placement.
Cuelga tu cuadro de fútbol sobre el escritorio.
Hang your football picture above the desk.
'Sobre' can mean both 'on' and 'above' depending on context.
Tu libro de lectura está entre el diccionario y el cuaderno.
Your reading book is lying between the dictionary and the notebook.
'Entre' (between) does not require the 'de' suffix.
Hear these phrases and practise them
Tildi plays every phrase out loud, tests you in five-minute lessons and builds them into bedtime stories from your own picture books.
Try it free for 7 daysKey words
mochila
backpack / school bag
A very common word for school gear.
zapatillas
trainers / sneakers
Also used for slippers in some regions.
armario
cupboard / closet
Used for any large storage furniture.
cuaderno
notebook
Distinct from 'libro' (textbook).
Verbs of Placement vs. Position
In Spanish, we use 'Poner' (to put) or 'Colgar' (to hang) to indicate moving something to a spot. To describe where it is located after, we use 'Estar' (to be). Unlike some languages, Spanish rarely uses 'standing' or 'lying' for objects, preferring the simple verb 'estar'.
| Use | Form | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Action (Put) | Poner / Colgar | Pon el libro aquí. |
| Location (State) | Estar | El libro está aquí. |
Compound Prepositions
Many Spanish prepositions require 'de' before the noun. If the noun is masculine singular (el), 'de' and 'el' contract to form 'del'.
| Use | Form | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Behind | Detrás de | Detrás de la puerta. |
| In front of | Delante de | Delante del sofá. |
| Between | Entre | Entre la mesa y la silla. |
More examples
¿Dónde está mi estuche?
Where is my pencil case?
Asking for the location of school supplies.
Está debajo de tu cuaderno.
It is under your notebook.
Using 'debajo de' for 'under'.