32 common Spanish verbs with prepositions: a, de, en and con

Spanish verbs with prepositions

Why do Spanish verbs take different prepositions?

A prepositional complement completes the meaning selected by a verb: depender de algo, confiar en alguien, soñar con un viaje. Replacing the preposition can sound incomplete or change the meaning.

Not every preposition after a verb is equally fixed. Llegar a names a destination, while aprender a + infinitive and acordarse de are learned as stable patterns. The examples below focus on common pairings that learners must retrieve accurately.

Do not assume that the English word predicts the Spanish one. English “dream about” becomes soñar con, while “think about” often becomes pensar en.

Four rules for verb–preposition pairs

Learn the complete chunk: acordarse de, confiar en, soñar con, atreverse a.

Keep the complement type with it: empezar a + infinitive; depender de + noun or pronoun.

Watch meaning changes: acabar de + infinitive means “to have just done”; acabar con means “to put an end to”.

Check the article after the preposition: a + el becomes al and de + el becomes del.

32 Spanish verbs with prepositions in complete examples

The list is grouped by a, de, en, and con so you can compare the pattern while keeping every verb inside a natural sentence.

Learn the pairs in four preposition groups

Each group gives the preposition a stable visual cue, while the sentence preserves the meaning that licenses it.

How should you memorise verbs with prepositions?

Copy a complete example, not only the bare verb.

Cover the preposition and retrieve it from the verb plus meaning.

Change the subject or tense without changing the selected preposition.

Contrast one tempting error: pienso en el viaje, not a direct translation with sobre in every context.

Hola Cards is a Spanish flashcard app from holacards.org for iOS and Android. It is free to download, needs no account, and core study works offline; the free version may show third-party ads while Premium removes them. The interface is available in English, Russian, and Portuguese; cards support translations in 28 languages and 18 practice and game modes. You can import these 32 fixed examples into a custom group and practise the complete verb–preposition pair with Spanish audio, writing, pronunciation, and review. Hola Cards does not select a preposition, generate new sentences, or correct open writing automatically, so use the patterns and notes on this page to verify each answer.

Connect verb government with general prepositions, contractions, pronouns, infinitive patterns, and sentence order.

Spanish prepositions of place / Spanish contractions al and del / Pronouns after prepositions / Spanish word order / 50 beginner verbs

A five-minute verb–preposition routine

1. Choose four examples from one group.
2. Read each complete sentence aloud twice.
3. Hide the preposition and reconstruct the pair.
4. Replace the noun or infinitive with a new compatible complement.
5. Write the four sentences from memory and check them against the table.

Grammar and usage references

The concept of prepositional government and the value of learning verb + preposition as one unit were checked against RAE–ASALE and Instituto Cervantes materials.

• RAE–ASALE: New Grammar, chapter 36 on prepositional complements
• Instituto Cervantes: teaching verb + preposition as one grammatical unit
• RAE–ASALE: Panhispanic Dictionary of Doubts

**Spanish verbs with prepositions: 32 examples**

Aprendo a cocinar. - I am learning to cook.
Empezamos a estudiar a las nueve. - We start studying at nine.
Ayudo a Marta a preparar la cena. - I help Marta prepare dinner.
Vuelvo a llamar por la tarde. - I call again in the afternoon.
Me acostumbré a levantarme temprano. - I got used to getting up early.
Se atrevió a preguntar. - She dared to ask.
Me dedico a la enseñanza. - I work in teaching.
La cocina huele a café. - The kitchen smells of coffee.
Me acuerdo de la cita. - I remember the appointment.
No te olvides de cerrar la puerta. - Do not forget to close the door.
Dejó de fumar el año pasado. - He stopped smoking last year.
Acabo de llegar. - I have just arrived.
El resultado depende del contexto. - The result depends on the context.
Trato de entenderlo. - I try to understand it.
Me di cuenta del error. - I realised the mistake.
Se quejan del ruido. - They complain about the noise.
Pienso en el viaje. - I am thinking about the trip.
Confío en ti. - I trust you.
Insistieron en pagar. - They insisted on paying.
Tardo una hora en llegar. - It takes me an hour to arrive.
Me fijo en los detalles. - I pay attention to the details.
Se convirtió en médica. - She became a doctor.
Participamos en el proyecto. - We take part in the project.
La tarea consiste en comparar dos textos. - The task consists of comparing two texts.
Sueño con vivir junto al mar. - I dream of living by the sea.
Cuento con tu ayuda. - I am counting on your help.
Ana se casó con Luis. - Ana married Luis.
Nos encontramos con un amigo. - We ran into a friend.
Me conformo con esta solución. - I accept this solution as sufficient.
Coincido contigo en lo esencial. - I agree with you on the essentials.
Colaboramos con otra escuela. - We collaborate with another school.
Me enfadé con mi hermano. - I got angry with my brother.