THE PREPOSITIONS.
Prepositions join words together to mark certain relations between them.
The principal prepositions are—
Á (at, to)
Ante (before—in point of place)
Bajo (under)
Con (with)
Contra, en contra de (against)
De (of, from)
Desde (since, from)
En (in)
Entre (between, among)
Hacia (towards)
Hasta (till, as far as, even)
Para (for the purpose of, for, in order to)
Por (for, by, because of)
Según (according to)
Sin (without)
Sobre (upon)
Tras, tras de (behind)
Para con (una persona),[164] (towards, with, a person)
[Footnote 164: "Fué muy generoso para conmigo": He was very generous with me.]
Many verbs take in Spanish a different preposition than in English. Some verbs take a preposition in one language and none in the other, as—
Depender de una promesa: To depend on a promise.
Convenir en una transacción: To agree to a compromise.
Confiar en un desconocido: To trust a perfect stranger.
Regalarle un cheque: To present him with a cheque.
The use of the correct preposition according to the verb it follows is best learnt by practice. In the second part of the grammar, the student will be helped with a list of the most characteristic differences between the two languages. The Spanish construction is not quite so rigid in this respect as is the English.
Difference between de and desde both translating "from"—=De= mark the origin only, as:
Esta seda viene de Italia: This silk comes from Italy—it is Italian silk.