PREPOSICIONES/ PREPOSITIONS

V. CON/ with

a. CON is used to indicate state/condition of companionship, communication, or reciprocity:

EXAMPLES

• En los países latinoamericanos, los hijos viven con sus padres hasta que se casan./ In Latin American countries, children live with their parents until they get married.
• Mi hermano está casado con una argentina./ My brother is married to an Argentine.

 

---

b. CON is used to indicate the behavior or attitude towards an object or person:

EXAMPLES

• Los niños se portan mal con la madrastra./ The children misbehave with their stepmother.

 

---

c. CON is used to indicate pairings:

EXAMPLES

• A la tarde, los niños toman leche con galletitas./ In the afternoon, children drink milk with cookies.
• Tomo el café con leche./ I drink my coffee with milk.

 

---

d. CON is used to indicate a simultaneous action:

EXAMPLES

• Tome una pastilla con cada comida./ Take a pill with each meal.
• Yo me levanto con el alba (poetic)./ I get up at the crack of dawn.

 

---

e. CON indicates a causal relationship:

EXAMPLES

• Me desperté con el trueno./ The thunder woke me up.
• ¿Cómo vamos a ir con esta lluvia? / How can we go in this rain?

 

---

f. CON indicates the instrument or material with which something is done or made:

EXAMPLE

• Corta la carne con un cuchillo, y agarrála con las manos. / Cut the meat with a knife, and hold it with your hands.

 

---

g. CON + mi forms conmigo, which means with me. CON + ti forms contigo; it means with you.

EXAMPLES

• ¿Quieres ir al cine conmigo?/ Do you want to go to the movies with me?
• Yo quiero ir contigo (con vos is used in Argentina and el Salvador)./ I want to go with you.

 

NOTE that con is used separately with the rest of the pronouns:

• ¿Quieren ir al cine con nosotros?/ Do you want to go to the movies with us?
• Yo quiero ir con ella./ I want to go with her.

  (Return)

LESSONS: Contracts II and Contracts IIa.

 

---

VI. CONTRA/against

a. CONTRA is used to indicate position or direction. It means against or into.

EXAMPLES

• Nadar contra la corriente es difícil./ Swimming against the current is difficult.
• El auto se estrelló contra la pared./ The car crashed into the wall.

 

---

b. CONTRA expresses opposite force:

EXAMPLES

• La lucha contra el cáncer es mundial./ The fight against cancer is global.

• Los países iberoamericanos no tienen tantas leyes contra la discriminación racial como los Estados Unidos./ Latin American countries don't have as many laws against racial discrimination as the US.

(Return)

LESSONS: Customer Service I and Customer Service Ia.