Spanish: An Essential Grammar

Both of them may also be used figuratively in the sense of ‘over and above’,

‘in addition to’, ‘as well as’:

Encima de todo critica a la gente que intenta ayudarlo.

On top of everything he criticizes the people who try to help him.

desgracia sobre desgracia

misfortune on top of misfortune

Sobrehas other related uses with regard to superiority, precedence, magni-

tude and approximation:

Sobre todo pide justicia. Above all she is asking for

justice.

Sobre ellos está la junta Above them is the board of

directiva. directors.

una temperatura de a temperature of 5 degrees

5 grados sobre cero above zero

Llego sobre las dos. I’ll arrive around two o’clock.

‘On’, ‘about’, ‘concerning’

Sobreis used with these meanings to express formal treatment of a topic:

una conferencia sobre Brasil a lecture on Brazil

Expressions formed with en

Amongst the many are:

en broma as a joke en lugar de instead of

en casa at home en resumen in short

en caso de in the event of/in case enseguida right away

en efecto indeed en vez de instead of

Enfrente de, frente a

These correspond to ‘opposite’, ‘in front of’:

21.11

21.10.5

21.10.4

1111

2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9

1011

1

12111

3 4 5 6 7 8 9

20111

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9

30111

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9

40

41111

21

Prepositions

228