Business Spanish - Prepositions

. Learn Spanish Grammer .

LESSON XXIX.
(Lección vigésima nona.)

THE PREPOSITIONS.

Prepositions join words together to mark certain relations between them.

The principal prepositions are--

Á (at, to)
Ante (before--in point of place)
Bajo (under)
Con (with)
Contra, en contra de (against)
De (of, from)
Desde (since, from)
En (in)
Entre (between, among)
Hacia (towards)
Hasta (till, as far as, even)
Para (for the purpose of, for, in order to)
Por (for, by, because of)
Según (according to)
Sin (without)
Sobre (upon)
Tras, tras de (behind)
Para con (una persona),[164] (towards, with, a person)

[Footnote 164: "Fué muy generoso para conmigo": He was very generous
with me.]

Many verbs take in Spanish a different preposition than in English. Some
verbs take a preposition in one language and none in the other, as--

Depender de una promesa: To depend on a promise.
Convenir en una transacción: To agree to a compromise.
Confiar en un desconocido: To trust a perfect stranger.
Regalarle un cheque: To present him with a cheque.

The use of the correct preposition according to the verb it follows is
best learnt by practice. In the second part of the grammar, the student
will be helped with a list of the most characteristic differences
between the two languages. The Spanish construction is not quite so
rigid in this respect as is the English.

Difference between _de_ and _desde_ both translating "from"--=De= mark
the origin only, as:

Esta seda viene de Italia: This silk comes from Italy--it is Italian
silk.

=Desde= calls attention to distance of time or space, as--

Desde el 1° de Enero se estableció en comercio por cuenta propia: From
the 1st of January, he started in business on his own account.

He viajado desde Londres hasta Calcuta en tantos días: I travelled from
London to Calcutta in so many days.

The chief difficulty in the employment of the Spanish prepositions is
the use of _Por_ and _Para_--

=Por= is used--

1. To denote agency = by[165]; as--

Es tenido en gran cuenta por sus amigos: He is thought much of by his
friends.

Este establecimiento fué fundado por mi bisabuelo: This establishment
was founded by my great-grandfather.

[Footnote 165: After the passive voice of verbs denoting mental action
when formed by _ser_, _Por_ is elegantly substituted by _De_, as: Son
amados por _or_ de sus padres (they are loved by their parents). But: Se
aman por sus padres.]

2. To denote the _motive_ of an action, as--

Lo hizo por envidia: He did it for (out of) envy.

3. To denote equivalency of any kind, as--

Cinco peniques por libra: Fivepence for a pound--per pound.

Trocar un producto por otro: To exchange one product for another.

Considerar á uno bueno por £1,000: To consider somebody as good for
£1,000.

Por mejor le envié yo como viajante: I sent you to travel, holding you
for a better man.

Tienda por tienda, prefiero esta: Of the two shops I prefer this.

4. To denote distribution, as--

Vinieron cinco por cinco: They came five by five.

=Para= is used--

1. To denote the object of an action (generally "to" or "in order to"),
as--

Trabajo para ganarme la vida: I work to (in order to) earn my living.

2. To denote destination (or direction), as--

El tren sale para Valencia: The train leaves for Valencia.

Esta cédula es para el Sr. Fulano: This warrant is for Mr. So-and-So.

Voy para casa: I am going towards home.

Many idiomatic uses of _Por_ and _Para_ must be learnt by practice.

VOCABULARY.

=abogar=, to plead
=acceder=, to accede
=afanarse=, to exert oneself, to take much trouble
=ahorrar=, to save
=ajuste=, adjustment
=á la verdad=, really
=altos hornos=, blast furnaces, foundries
=amarillo=, yellow, buff
=amistad=, friendship
=aparentar=, to show outwardly
=aprovecharse=, to take advantage of, to avail oneself
=aproximarse=, to approach, to draw near
=automóvil=, motor-car
=azadas=, hoes
=azadones=, pick-axes
=azuelas=, adzes
=bultos=, packages
=cizallas=, shears
=croquis=, sketch
=diseñador=, draughtsman
=*disponer=, to dispose, to arrange
=echar al correo=, to (throw into the) post
=empeoramiento=, deterioration
=en blanco=, blank
=estancia=, stay
=(un) fardín, un cuarto=, a farthing, a trifling amount
=*forzar=, to force, to strain
=hachuelas=, hatchets
=hilar=, to spin
=largo de talle=, full, complete
=lingotes de hierro=, pig-iron
=martillo=, hammer
=molestia=, trouble
=moratoria=, extension of time (for payment)
=palas=, shovels
=para= (=estar=), (to be) on the point of ...
=picos=, picks
=plomo=, slate, lead colour
=por= (=estar por escribir=), to be (yet) unwritten
=previsión=, foresight
=los síntomas=, the symptoms
=suspender los pagos=, to stop payments
=tejer=, to weave
=tenazas=, tongs
=textil=, textile
=*trocar=, to barter, to exchange
=yerno, hijo político=, son-in-law

EXERCISE 1. (57)

Translate into English--

1. De España nos vienen las ricas uvas y las jugosas (juicy) naranjas,
además de minerales--de hierro y cobre.

2. El viaje por mar desde España á Inglaterra tarda de cuatro á seis
días.

3. Desde el año 1900 hasta el 1910 aumentó mucho la población del Reino
Unido.

4. Los Altos Hornos de Bilbao se han construido para la producción de
lingotes de hierro.

5. La Sociedad reúne poderosos elementos (commands great resources) para
la fabricación de toda clase de maquinaria para la hiladura y la
tejeduría del algodón.

6. Los bultos se embarcaron directamente por los fabricantes mismos.

7. El empaque y el transporte cuestan lo mismo y precio por precio
preferimos ahorrarnos molestias.

8. Por un falso sentido de honor aquella casa forzó su crédito para no
tener que pedir moratorias, dando esto por resultado el empeoramiento de
su posición.

9. Compré un automóvil por £1,000 mas lo troqué con este que vale á la
verdad £1,500 dando sólo £200 por la diferencia.

10. Disponga V. las piezas tantas por parte.

11. Á una veintena por vez colocámos aquellos picos, palas, azadas,
azadones, hachuelas, azuelas, martillos, cizallas, y tenazas.

12. Se presentó por su yerno, abogó por él por una hora larga de talle,
todo por su hija, pues por el chico (young man, lit., child) maldita la
gana que tendría (he would not have liked the idea) de afanarse tanto
por él.

13. Haré por colocar sus driles blancos, plomo, y amarillos (buff) para
los cuales me dió orden verbal su Sr. hijo durante su estancia aquí y
que se despacharán por (_or_ por la vía de) Burdeos y Cartagena.

14. Nuestro mercado sigue muy encalmado sin que por el momento presente
síntomas de mejora.

15. La primera carta está para echarse al correo pero la segunda y la
tercera quedan aun por escribir.

EXERCISE 2 (58).

Translate into Spanish--

1. He offers a loan to avoid all risk that the house should fall.

2. It would not be possible for it to fall unless the Textile Bank
should stop payments.

3. His office is opposite ours and we have him thus under our eyes.

4. With all the weight of the evidence (las pruebas) you have collected
(recogido), it would be very risky to proceed against him from such a
distance.

5. Between one thing and the other I did not know what to choose, so I
left them to settle the matter between themselves.

6. These sketches have been made by our draughtsman for our customers,
the owners of the Sugar Mill in Parahyba.

7. He did the work for the pleasure of it but would not (no quiso)
charge a farthing for it.

8. The packets arrived two by two.

9. I accede willingly for the sake of old friendship (por la antigua
amistad que nos une).

10. As the time of the year is drawing near when your firms effect their
purchases in this country, we beg to address you to renew the offer of
our services.

11. We shall be extremely glad if you will avail yourselves of our
offers and send us orders for some of your requirements.

12. The adjustment of the average per S.S. "Nile" is still hanging fire
(todavía pendiente), but we are pushing the Insurance Co. to our utmost
(todo lo posible) for a speedy settlement.

13. For a (para) foreigner he understands English methods very well
indeed.

14. Being (por ser) so young he shows a good deal of (mucho) tact and
foresight.