Contra, en contra de
Contraserves for most literal and figurative translations of ‘against’, and
for firing weapons ‘at’.
En contra deis sometimes preferred to express an opinion or a feeling:
Coloca la escalera contra Place the ladder against the wall.
el muro.
Dirigen sus misiles They are aiming their missiles
contra la ciudad. at the city.
Está en contra de los toros. He is against bullfighting.De
Another of the most common prepositions, defrequently indicates origin
or source. It also expresses ‘of’ with regard to ownership and relationship,
and in the sense of ‘made of’.
There are, however, many meanings which cannot be compared directly
with English usage.De to indicate origin and point of departureThis may correspond not only to English ‘from’ but also ‘in’, especially in
superlative phrases:
La palabra viene del latín. The word comes from Latin.
Han llegado de Lisboa. They have arrived from Lisbon.
el mejor hotel de Río de the best hotel in Rio de Janeiro
JaneiroDe to indicate ownership, relationship and associationThis usage often corresponds to the apostrophe ‘s’ in English:
los primos de José José’s cousins
la superficie de la luna the surface of the moon
Note: De + personal name or noun is a disdainful or mocking means of reference:
el idiota de Juan‘that idiot Juan’.21.6.221.6.121.6
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Prepositions