return to main menu
Quick Grammar Reference
P o r t u g u e s e O n l i n e

>>Prepositions > Useful Prepositions

Prepositions are little words that relate one noun to another. Basic prepositions in Portuguese are used very much as they are in English.

A basic preposition is a single-word preposition like in, on, to, at, from, of, with or under. As in English, these words all come before the noun in Portuguese. Com means with, and com você means with you. Portuguese prepositions also precede a special set of prepositional pronouns (in other words, there is a special word for me when you say from me as opposed to he sees me or give me water).

The following is a short list of basic prepositions in Portuguese and their English equivalents.

Prepositions

Also see how many of these prepositions contract with very basic words in Portuguese to form a single word.

English speakers often confuse the prepositions por and para. Por indicates a reciprocal for, often meaning in exchange for: por vinte dólares for twenty dollars. Para is a one-way action, directed toward someone or something: para você for you (with the meaning this is intended for / destined to you). Para has a definite aspect of direction that can be seen in the way Portuguese speakers often use it instead of a to: para o restaurante to the restaurant. Remember that thanks is a reciprocal action, so you must say obrigado por... thank you for.

A usually carries the meaning to. It means at in certain phrases, such as às vezes at times (where it is contracted with the article as the). In a phrase like at a restaurant, you must opt for em in and say em um restaurante in a restaurant (or the contracted num restaurante). A um restaurante can only mean to a restaurant.

Sobre can mean about in the sense of dealing with when saying, for example, this story is about a happy dog. It never translates to the about of I have about five books (with the meaning approximately).

The preposition com with is unique because it combines with many of the prepositional pronouns to form a single word. In other words, when saying with me, you cannot say com mi.

Prepositional Pronouns with com ("with")