A, De and En in Spanish: Where to, Where from, Where

Three small words do most of the work of “to,” “from,” and “in.” A answers where to? — Voy a Madrid. De answers where from? — Soy de México. En answers where? — Vivo en Madrid. Before the article el, a and de change shape: al and del.

A: where to

A marks the place you are going. Cities and most countries take no article. A specific place with la, los or las keeps that article. Home, as a direction, is the set phrase a casa.

Voy a plus a verb is a different pattern: a plan, not a place. Voy a estudiar means “I'm going to study.” That structure has its own guide, Ir a + Infinitive. Clock time also uses a — a las diez — and the full clock is in telling time and dates.

A specific person, as the object of the verb, also takes a. This is the personal a. You see it with ver, llamar, conocer and many other verbs when the person is particular. It is not used with tener for family and possession.

The same a appears in a él, “to him.” Él is a pronoun, with an accent. It is not the article el, so it does not become al. Al is only a + el.

Al and del

A and de join with the article el. Voy al mercado. A and de join with the article el: a + el = al, and de + el = del. They do not join with la, los or las: voy a la playa, llego de la estación. The join is required. Which nouns are el and which are la is the subject of gender and articles.

When El is part of a name, it stays separate: Voy a El Salvador, not “al Salvador.” The article there belongs to the name.

De: where from, whose, what it's made of

De is origin. Soy de México says where you are from. Estoy en México says where you are right now. Ser takes de for origin; estar takes en for location. The two verbs are compared in Ser vs Estar. Coming back from a place uses the same de: Llego del trabajo, Vengo de casa.

De also says whose it is, and what it is made of. El libro de Ana is Ana's book. There is no apostrophe. De plus a noun is how Spanish names the owner when you don't use mi or tu; the full set, including the ambiguous su, is in possessives. The same de names the material or the contents: una mesa de madera, un vaso de agua.

“With” is a different word, con: un café con leche. It is not de.

Dates use de between the day and the month: el 5 de mayo. Months and years on their own take en: en mayo, en 2026. For a simple calendar statement, use el lunes. The expression en lunes also occurs in some contexts and regions; it is not universally wrong. The calendar, the clock, and those patterns are already in telling time and dates.

En: where you are, and how you travel

Vivo en Madrid. En answers “where?”. A answers “where to?”: Voy a Madrid. The same city takes a when you are going there and en when you are there. English splits this job between in, at and on. These Spanish sentences use en for all three: en Madrid, en casa, en la mesa.

Use en with estar when the thing is already known and you are saying where it is. When you introduce something that exists, Spanish uses hay: Hay un banco en la calle. That contrast is Hay vs Estar.

En also says how you travel, usually with no article. Add the article when you mean one particular vehicle.

On foot is the exception beginners need: a pie, not en pie. En pie means “standing.” En coche is the usual phrase in Spain; in much of Latin America you will also hear en carro or en auto. All three are correct in their regions.

A short conversation

Notice the pair in Mateo's last two lines: voy a Valencia (a city, no article) and voy a la playa (la stays). En tren is the means, with no article. En Valencia is the place he will be.

Para and por are a different pair

With ir, the usual beginner pattern for a destination is a: Voy a Sevilla. Ir para is also possible in some contexts, especially for direction; do not treat it as an error. Salir para is another useful pattern — Mañana salgo para Sevilla, “I'm leaving for Seville” — and it belongs with purpose, recipient and cause in Por vs Para. So does por la mañana. This page stays with a, de and en.

Common mistakes

A el and de el, written out. Voy al mercado. A and de join with the article el: a + el = al, and de + el = del. They do not join with la, los or las: voy a la playa, llego de la estación.

A for “where you live.” Vivo en Madrid. En answers “where?”. A answers “where to?”: Voy a Madrid. The same city takes a when you are going there and en when you are there.

En for origin. Soy de México says where you are from. Estoy en México says where you are right now. Ser takes de for origin; estar takes en for location.

A missing personal a. A specific person as the object takes a. With tener, ordinary possession or family relationships usually have no personal a: Tengo una hermana. Other uses of tener can include it.

From and to swapped with llegar. Llego al trabajo means you arrive there. Llego del trabajo means you are coming back from there.

En pie for “on foot.” On foot is a pie. En pie means standing.

Quick exercise

Complete with a, de, en, al or del. One word each.

1. Mañana voy ___ Valencia.
2. Vivo ___ Madrid.
3. Soy ___ México.
4. Esta tarde voy ___ mercado.
5. Llego ___ trabajo a las seis. (I'm getting back from work)
6. Veo ___ Lucía en el parque.
7. Vamos ___ tren, no en coche.
8. El libro está ___ la mesa.

Frequently asked questions

Is it “voy a el mercado” or “voy al mercado”?

Voy al mercado. A and de join with the article el: a + el = al, and de + el = del. They do not join with la, los or las: voy a la playa, llego de la estación.

Is it “vivo a Madrid” or “vivo en Madrid”?

Vivo en Madrid. En answers “where?”. A answers “where to?”: Voy a Madrid. The same city takes a when you are going there and en when you are there.

Is it “soy en México” or “soy de México”?

Soy de México says where you are from. Estoy en México says where you are right now. Ser takes de for origin; estar takes en for location.