Verbs with fixed prepositions (régimen preposicional)
An overview of common Spanish verbs that are always combined with the same preposition.
Verbs with 'de'
Some verbs always require the preposition de before the object, even where Dutch or English would not use one.
- depender de (to depend on)
- enamorarse de (to fall in love with)
- acordarse de (to remember)
- olvidarse de (to forget)
Examples
Todo depende del tiempo que tengamos.Everything depends on the time we have.
Se enamoró de ella a primera vista.He fell in love with her at first sight.
No me acuerdo de su nombre.I don't remember his name.
Verbs with 'en'
Other verbs always take en:
- pensar en (to think about/of)
- consistir en (to consist of)
- insistir en (to insist on)
- tardar en (to take (time) to)
Examples
Siempre pienso en ti.I always think about you.
El examen consiste en dos partes: escrita y oral.The exam consists of two parts: written and oral.
Insistió en pagar la cuenta.He insisted on paying the bill.
El tren tardó dos horas en llegar.The train took two hours to arrive.
Verbs with 'con'
These verbs combine with con:
- soñar con (to dream of/about)
- contar con (to count on)
Examples
Sueño con vivir en España algún día.I dream of living in Spain someday.
Puedes contar conmigo siempre que lo necesites.You can always count on me whenever you need it.
Verbs with 'a'
Finally, a group of verbs with a:
- dedicarse a (to devote oneself to, to work as)
- acostumbrarse a (to get used to)
- atreverse a (to dare to)
Examples
Mi hermana se dedica a la enseñanza.My sister works in teaching.
Nos costó acostumbrarnos al nuevo horario.It was hard for us to get used to the new schedule.
No se atrevió a decirle la verdad.He didn't dare tell her the truth.
💡 Tips
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Always learn verb + preposition as one block, like vocabulary: 'soñar con', not 'soñar' and 'con' separately.
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The Spanish preposition often doesn't match Dutch/English: 'pensar en' (to think about, not 'of') and 'depender de' (to depend on, literally 'of').
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'a' + 'el' contracts to 'al'; 'de' + 'el' contracts to 'del': depender del tiempo — watch for these contractions with other prepositions + 'el'.
🎯 Practise this topic with 10 interactive exercises (10)
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