Verb-Preposition Combinations

Kurz erklärt

In Spanish, many verbs are followed by a specific preposition before a noun or an infinitive. The required preposition is part of the verb pattern and often cannot be translated directly from English. For example, depender takes de, while pensar and confiar take en. It is best to learn each verb together with its preposition.

Bildung

verb + fixed preposition + noun/pronoun or infinitive: depender de algo, pensar en alguien, acostumbrarse a hacer algo

Verwendung

• Use de after verbs such as depender, acordarse and tratar when it means ‘to try.’
• Use en after verbs such as pensar, confiar and insistir.
• Use con after verbs such as soñar and contar when contar con means ‘to count on.’
• Use a after verbs such as acostumbrarse and aprender when they introduce an infinitive.

Beispiele

• Todo depende del clima. — Everything depends on the weather.
• Estoy pensando en cambiar de trabajo. — I’m thinking about changing jobs.
• Puedes confiar en nosotros. — You can trust us.
• Me estoy acostumbrando a levantarme temprano. — I’m getting used to getting up early.

Typischer Fehler

❌ Depende en la situación.

✅ Depende de la situación.

English uses ‘depend on,’ but Spanish uses depender de, not depender en.

Merke

Learn the preposition as part of the verb, such as depender de or confiar en. A dictionary example can help confirm the complete pattern.