Choosing Between Portuguese Prepositions

When you start learning about Portuguese prepositions, you’ll quickly realize that the translation is very dependent on context. This makes it tricky for non-native speakers to determine which preposition to use. In this Learning Note, we’ll review some commonly confused prepositions to help clarify these distinctions.

Location: When to Use “A” vs “Em”

The preposition ato, at Slow audio Play audio Preposition is typically used either for movement (“to”) or to talk about being positioned “at” something, in the sense of being next to, by, or alongside it. In contrast, emin, at, on, about Slow audio Play audio Preposition usually means in or at a place, such as being in the room, at the supermarket, or on the table.
So, it’s correct to say:

• Ele toma uma bebida ao balcãoHe has a drink at the counter (i.e. by or next to the counter) Slow audio Play audio
• Ela vai ao barShe goes to the bar Slow audio Play audio
• Ela senta-se à mesaShe sits at the table Slow audio Play audio
• Nós estamos à janelaWe’re at the window (i.e., positioned next to the window) Slow audio Play audio
• Eu irei ao teu jantarI’ll go to your dinner Slow audio Play audio
• Ele toma uma bebida no barHe has a drink at the bar (i.e. in the bar, somewhere within the establishment Slow audio Play audio
• A comida está na mesaThe food is on the table Slow audio Play audio
• Há trânsito na estradaThere’s traffic on the road Slow audio Play audio
• O objeto está no sacoThe object is in the bag Slow audio Play audio

But, we can’t say:
❌  Ele toma uma bebida ao bar
❌  Ela vai no bar
❌  Ele está ao bar
Note: Remember that a contracts with o to form ao and em contracts with o to form no. More information about contractions here: Portuguese Contractions

Movement: When to Use “A” vs. “Para”

Both ato, at Slow audio Play audio Preposition and parato, for, in order to, towards Slow audio Play audio Preposition are often used to indicate movement, i.e., I am going to a particular place. The preposition a is typically for when you will not stay long at the destination, and para is typically for when you’re staying permanently, or for a long time. It’s important to note, however, that there are no specific cut-off points in terms of the amount of time. It depends on the expectations for the specific situation. For example, take a look at these sentences:

• Vou à escolaI'm going by the school Slow audio Play audio – Implies that I am just quickly dropping by, maybe to pick something up
• Vou para a escolaI'm going to school Slow audio Play audio – Implies that I am going to have a full day of classes at school
• Vou a PortugalI'm going to Portugal Slow audio Play audio – Implies that I am going to Portugal to visit, maybe for a few weeks
• Vou para PortugalI'm going to Portugal Slow audio Play audio – Implies that I am moving to Portugal, not just visiting

These examples show you how much the context matters. It’s not about the actual length of time, but more about what’s expected when going to a particular destination. Going to school comes with different expectations compared to going to another country.

For: When to Use “Para” vs. “Por”

Para can also mean for, but so can porby, for, via, through Slow audio Play audio Preposition, Singular . Again, it comes down to context. We discuss the difference between por and para in lots of detail in this Learning Note: Por vs. Para

By: When to Use “Por” vs. “De”

Por can also mean by. But wait… doesn’t deof, from, by, about Slow audio Play audio Preposition mean by sometimes too? Oh no, here we go again…
Yes, de sometimes means by, but the primary use is when discussing how you get to one place or another or how an action is carried out.

• Eu vou de carroI go by car Slow audio Play audio

In contrast, por means by in the sense of identifying who did the action:

• A caixa foi aberta por PandoraThe box was opened by Pandora Slow audio Play audio

There is one exception: If we want to indicate authorship of a work or concept, but without an associated action verb, we still use de instead of por. Note the difference in the following examples:

• É uma canção de um artista famosoIt's a song by a famous artist Slow audio Play audio
• É uma canção lançada por um artista famosoIt's a song released by a famous artist Slow audio Play audio

De and por are actually quite different in their other uses, so those contexts are more straightforward:

• Eu falo de tiI talk about you Slow audio Play audio
• Venho de InglaterraI've come from England Slow audio Play audio
• Vocês são os pais da meninaYou are the girl's parents Slow audio Play audio
• Por onde vais?Which way are you going? Slow audio Play audio
• Nós corremos duas vezes por semanaWe run twice per week Slow audio Play audio
• Eu espero por tiI wait for you Slow audio Play audio
• Ela vai por aíShe goes through there Slow audio Play audio

Position: Sob vs Sobre

The words sobreabout, on, over, above Slow audio Play audio Preposition and sobunder Slow audio Play audio Preposition are what we call paronyms: words that have different meanings, but that are pronounced and/or written in a similar way. In this case, they are actually complete opposites regarding the location of something.
If we’re talking about the position of a person or object, sobre means on (top of) and sob translates to underneath or below (something).
Sobre can also mean about, when we want to indicate the topic/subject of something.
Some examples of sobre in context include:

• Este texto é sobre preposiçõesThis text is about prepositions Slow audio Play audio
• Ele falou sobre issoHe talked about that Slow audio Play audio
• Ele caiu sobre mimHe fell on me Slow audio Play audio
• A neve caiu sobre nósThe snow fell on us Slow audio Play audio

And here are some examples using sob:

• O comando está sob a mesaThe remote is under the table Slow audio Play audio
• Trabalho bem sob pressãoI work well under pressure Slow audio Play audio

Em vs De

The choice of preposition often plays a significant role in the meaning of a sentence. It’s interesting that even a tiny change can completely change the interpretation. Let’s explore em vs de as an example:

• A Joana está na camaJoana is in bed Slow audio Play audio | A Joana está de camaJoana is bedridden Slow audio Play audio
• Elas falaram em mimThey spoke of me Slow audio Play audio | Elas falaram de mimThey spoke about me Slow audio Play audio – With the former, they only spoke about me briefly or in passing. In the latter, the meaning is more “they specifically talked about me”.
• Estou com uma dor na cabeçaI have a pain in my head Slow audio Play audio | Estou com dor de cabeçaI have a headache Slow audio Play audio – With the former, it could be any type of pain in the head area, while the latter refers specifically to a headache

Sometimes, however, there is more than one preposition that can be used to indicate the same meaning, as in:

• Eu fico em péI'll stand Slow audio Play audio
• Eu fico de péI'll stand Slow audio Play audio

Learn More

Members can practice prepositions like these in the following Units and Shorties:

• Prepositions 1
• Prepositions 2
• Prepositions 3
• Full list of Shorties (These are very helpful for picking up the meanings more naturally, in context)
• Shorties episodes featuring specific prepositions
• And don’t forget to add helpful phrases to your Smart Review!