# Esperanto prepositions: all 33 with examples

Source: https://esperantopedia.org/grammar/prepositions/
Language: en
Updated: 2026-10-28

> Esperanto has 33 official prepositions, all from the 1905 Fundamento. Each one with meaning and example, plus je, the direction -n and prefix use.

Esperanto has **33 official prepositions**, and all of them were already in the *Fundamento de Esperanto* (1905). They never change form, they always stand before their noun, and the noun after them stays in the nominative (rule 8 of the [16 rules](https://esperantopedia.org/grammar/16-rules/)).

There is one exception: after a preposition of place, the ending *-n* shows movement towards a place. When no preposition fits the meaning, Esperanto uses *je*, the only preposition without a meaning of its own.

## Prepositions of place and movement at a glance

Twelve words say where one thing is in relation to another, and five describe movement: *al* "to", *de* "from", *el* "out of", *tra* "through" and *ĝis* "as far as". *Malantaŭ* "behind" is not one of the 33 but is built from *mal-* + *antaŭ*. Every example sentence below is taken from PMEG.

en = in | Li kuŝis en la lito. | He was lying in bed.
sur = on | La libro estas sur la tablo. | The book is on the table.
sub = under | La lampo pendas sub la plafono. | The lamp hangs below the ceiling.
super = above | Super la komodo pendis granda pentraĵo. | A large painting hung above the chest of drawers.
apud = next to | Li staris tutan horon apud la fenestro. | He stood by the window for a whole hour.
ĉe = at | Ĉe la angulo de la strato ŝi haltis. | She stopped at the corner of the street.
antaŭ = in front of | Antaŭ la domo staras arbo. | In front of the house stands a tree.
malantaŭ = behind | Tuj malantaŭ si ŝi aŭdis viran voĉon. | Right behind her she heard a man's voice.
inter = between | Sur la kameno inter du potoj staras fera kaldrono. | On the hearth, between two pots, stands an iron cauldron.
ĉirkaŭ = around | La tero rondiras ĉirkaŭ la suno. | The earth goes round the sun.
trans = across | Ŝi saltis trans barilon. | She jumped over a fence.
ekster = outside | Li loĝas ekster la urbo. | He lives outside the town.
al = to | Vi devas nur iri al la fonto ĉerpi akvon. | You only have to go to the spring to draw water.
de = from | Mi venas de la avo. | I am coming from Grandfather's.
el = out of | Li eliris el la dormoĉambro. | He came out of the bedroom.
tra = through | Mallarĝa vojeto kondukas tra tiu ĉi kampo al nia domo. | A narrow path leads through this field to our house.
ĝis = as far as | Li kliniĝis ĝis la tero. | He bowed down to the ground.

## All 33 prepositions

| Preposition | Meaning | Example | Translation |
|---|---|---|---|
| *al* | to, towards; to (someone) | *al la urbo; doni al Petro* | "to the town; give to Peter" |
| *anstataŭ* | instead of | *teo anstataŭ kafo* | "tea instead of coffee" |
| *antaŭ* | in front of; before (time) | *antaŭ la domo; antaŭ la leciono* | "in front of the house; before the lesson" |
| *apud* | next to, beside | *apud la fenestro* | "next to the window" |
| *ĉe* | at; at someone's place | *ĉe la tablo; ĉe mi* | "at the table; at my place" |
| *ĉirkaŭ* | around; about (roughly) | *ĉirkaŭ la lago; ĉirkaŭ tri horoj* | "around the lake; about three hours" |
| *da* | of (after a quantity) | *glaso da akvo* | "a glass of water" |
| *de* | from; of (owner); by (agent) | *de Varsovio; la libro de Petro; amata de ĉiuj* | "from Warsaw; Peter's book; loved by all" |
| *dum* | during | *dum la tago* | "during the day" |
| *ekster* | outside | *ekster la urbo* | "outside the town" |
| *el* | out of; made of; one of | *el la domo; el ligno; unu el ni* | "out of the house; of wood; one of us" |
| *en* | in; into (with *-n*) | *en la ĉambro; en la ĉambron* | "in the room; into the room" |
| *ĝis* | until; as far as | *ĝis morgaŭ; ĝis la stacio* | "until tomorrow; as far as the station" |
| *inter* | between, among | *inter la arboj* | "between the trees" |
| *je* | no fixed meaning | *je la tria horo* | "at three o'clock" |
| *kontraŭ* | against; opposite | *kontraŭ la vento* | "against the wind" |
| *krom* | except; besides | *ĉiuj krom mi* | "everyone except me" |
| *kun* | (together) with | *kun amiko* | "with a friend" |
| *laŭ* | according to; along | *laŭ mi; laŭ la rivero* | "in my opinion; along the river" |
| *malgraŭ* | in spite of | *malgraŭ la pluvo* | "in spite of the rain" |
| *per* | by means of, with (a tool) | *per krajono; per trajno* | "with a pencil; by train" |
| *po* | at the rate of, each | *po tri pomoj* | "three apples each" |
| *por* | for; in order to | *por vi; por lerni* | "for you; in order to learn" |
| *post* | after; behind | *post la leciono; post la domo* | "after the lesson; behind the house" |
| *preter* | past, by (moving past) | *preter la domo* | "past the house" |
| *pri* | about, concerning | *pri la vetero* | "about the weather" |
| *pro* | because of | *pro la pluvo* | "because of the rain" |
| *sen* | without | *sen mono* | "without money" |
| *sub* | under | *sub la tablo* | "under the table" |
| *super* | above, over | *super la urbo* | "above the town" |
| *sur* | on | *sur la tablo* | "on the table" |
| *tra* | through | *tra la arbaro* | "through the forest" |
| *trans* | across, on the other side of | *trans la rivero* | "on the other side of the river" |

Words such as *malantaŭ* "behind" (*mal-* + *antaŭ*) and *ekde* "starting from" are built from these 33 and are not counted separately. PMEG also lists a few unofficial prepositions, such as *far* "by (an author)". Most writers use *fare de* instead.

## Pairs that English speakers mix up

English "with", "of" and "for" each split into several Esperanto prepositions.

| English | Esperanto | Example |
|---|---|---|
| with (company) | *kun* | *Mi manĝas kun amiko.* – "I eat with a friend." |
| with (tool) | *per* | *Mi manĝas per forko.* – "I eat with a fork." |
| of (quantity) | *da* | *kilogramo da pomoj* – "a kilo of apples" |
| of (owner, origin) | *de* | *la domo de mia patro* – "my father's house" |
| of (material, group) | *el* | *ringo el oro* – "a ring of gold" |
| for (purpose, benefit) | *por* | *Ĝi estas por vi.* – "It is for you." |
| for (reason) | *pro* | *Dankon pro la helpo.* – "Thanks for the help." |
| for (duration) | *dum* or *-n* | *dum du semajnoj* / *du semajnojn* – "for two weeks" |

## Je: the preposition with no meaning

Rule 14 of the Fundamento says every preposition has a fixed meaning. When none of them fits, you use *je*. Its most common uses (PMEG) are:

- **Clock time and festivals:** *je la oka* – "at eight"; *je Pasko* – "at Easter".
- **Difference in measure:** *je unu jaro pli juna* – "one year younger".
- **Body parts and conditions:** *kapti je la brako* – "grab by the arm"; *malsana je la brusto* – "ill in the chest".
- **Feelings and belief:** *kredi je Dio* – "believe in God".

PMEG advises avoiding *je* when a more precise preposition exists. For clock times, see [numbers and time](https://esperantopedia.org/grammar/numbers/).

## Direction: preposition + -n

Prepositions of place (*en, sur, sub, antaŭ, apud, inter, trans* and others) say **where** something is. Add *-n* to the noun and they say **where to** (rule 13). This is one of the uses of the [accusative](https://esperantopedia.org/grammar/accusative/).

| Position (no -n) | Movement (with -n) |
|---|---|
| *La kato saltas sur la tablo.* – "The cat jumps (around) on the table." | *La kato saltas sur la tablon.* – "The cat jumps onto the table." |
| *La birdo flugas en la ĉambro.* – "The bird is flying in the room." | *La birdo flugas en la ĉambron.* – "The bird flies into the room." |

Only prepositions that can also mean a place take this *-n*. *Al, el, de* and *ĝis* never mean a place, so they are never followed by *-n*: *al la urbo*, *el la lernejo*. Direction *-n* always means movement towards, never away from (PMEG).

## The accusative instead of a preposition

Rule 14 also allows the bare *-n* instead of *je*: *Mi ridas je lia naiveco* = *Mi ridas lian naivecon* – "I laugh at his naivety". Today this is rare with verbs like *ridi*. It is common for time and measure:

- *Mi venos lundon.* – "I will come on Monday."
- *Ni restis tri tagojn.* – "We stayed three days."
- *Ĝi kostas dek eŭrojn.* – "It costs ten euros."

## Prepositions as prefixes and roots

Most prepositions also work as prefixes on verbs. The meaning stays close to the preposition:

| Word | Parts | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| *alveni* | al + veni | "to arrive" |
| *eliri* | el + iri | "to go out" |
| *eniri* | en + iri | "to enter" |
| *kunlabori* | kun + labori | "to cooperate" |
| *subskribi* | sub + skribi | "to sign" |
| *transiri* | trans + iri | "to cross" |
| *priskribi* | pri + skribi | "to describe" |
| *antaŭvidi* | antaŭ + vidi | "to foresee" |

They also take normal endings: *apuda* "neighbouring", *kontraŭa* "opposite", *antaŭe* "previously", *poste* "afterwards", *kune* "together", *ĉirkaŭi* "to surround". A whole phrase can become one word: *sen hejmo* → *senhejma* "homeless", *inter nacioj* → *internacia* "international". See [word building](https://esperantopedia.org/grammar/word-building/) and [prefixes](https://esperantopedia.org/grammar/prefixes/).

## Examples in sentences

- *La kato dormas sub la tablo.* – "The cat is sleeping under the table."
- *La kato kuris sub la tablon.* – "The cat ran under the table."
- *Mi atendos vin antaŭ la kinejo.* – "I'll wait for you in front of the cinema."
- *Post la leciono ni iris al kafejo.* – "After the lesson we went to a café."
- *Ŝi venas el Brazilo.* – "She comes from Brazil."
- *Mi ricevis leteron de mia avino.* – "I got a letter from my grandmother."
- *Ni promenis tra la arbaro.* – "We walked through the forest."
- *Mi laboras ĉe granda firmao.* – "I work at a big company."
- *Li parolis pri sia vojaĝo dum la tuta vespero.* – "He talked about his trip the whole evening."

## Common questions

### How many prepositions does Esperanto have?
Esperanto has 33 official prepositions, all from the Fundamento of 1905. Derived forms like *malantaŭ* and unofficial words like *far* are not counted.

### What case comes after a preposition in Esperanto?
The nominative: *kun mia amiko*. The only exception is direction after a preposition of place, where the noun takes *-n*: *en la domon* "into the house".

### What is the difference between kun and per?
*Kun* means "together with" a person or thing; *per* means "by means of" a tool or method. *Mi skribas kun amiko per krajono* – "I write with a friend, using a pencil."

### When should I use je?
Use *je* only when no other preposition fits. Its most frequent use is with clock time: *je la tria* – "at three o'clock".

### What is the difference between de and da?
*Da* links a quantity to what is measured: *glaso da vino* "a glass of wine". *De* shows owner, origin or agent: *la glaso de Petro* "Peter's glass".

## Sources

- [Fundamento de Esperanto – grammar in English (rules 8, 13, 14)](https://www.akademio-de-esperanto.org/fundamento/gramatiko_angla.html)
- [PMEG – Rolvortetoj (prepositions)](https://bertilow.com/pmeg/gramatiko/rolmontriloj/rolvortetoj/index.html)
- [PMEG – Lokaj rolvortetoj (prepositions of place, with example sentences)](https://bertilow.com/pmeg/gramatiko/rolmontriloj/rolvortetoj/lokaj_rolvortetoj/index.html)
- [PMEG – Direktaj rolvortetoj (al, el, ĝis)](https://bertilow.com/pmeg/gramatiko/rolmontriloj/rolvortetoj/direktaj_rolvortetoj/index.html)
- [PMEG – Je](https://bertilow.com/pmeg/gramatiko/rolmontriloj/rolvortetoj/je.html)
- [PMEG – N for direction](https://bertilow.com/pmeg/gramatiko/rolmontriloj/n/direkto.html)
- [PMEG – Afiksecaj elementoj (prepositions in compounds)](https://bertilow.com/pmeg/vortfarado/afiksoj/afiksecaj_elementoj/index.html)
- [PMEG – Neoficialaj vortetoj](https://bertilow.com/pmeg/gramatiko/neoficialaj_vortetoj.html)
- [Wikipedia – Esperanto grammar](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Esperanto_grammar)