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Published on: Grammar Bites

Régimen preposicional

Some verbs are generally used along a specific preposition. For example, abundar en, means to have something in abundance. In some cases the verb changes meaning according to the preposition with which is paired up (hablar de alguien [to talk about someone] is not the same as hablar con alguien [to talk with someone]).

Finally, there are some expressions formed by a preposition and a noun whose meaning isn’t always clear (a máquina / por correo / de rodillas / a cántaros / de memoria/ por los codos, etc.).

Today we will learn about the relationship between some prepositions and certain verbs.

 

EN:

Pensar en (to think about):

La segunda, por parte de Panamá que pensó en pertenecer al territorio del Perú gracias a los lazos comerciales existentes entre ambos territorios durante siglos.

The second one was proposed by Panama who thought about belonging to the territory of Peru due to the commercial ties that had existed between both territories for centuries.

Consistir en (to consist of):

La cual consistía en unir los territorios de la Nueva Granada (actual Colombia y una parte del actual Perú y Brasil), la capitanía de Venezuela (actual Venezuela y parte de las Guayanas), Ecuador (con parte del actual Perú) y el istmo de Panamá.

Which consisted of joining the territories of New Granada (currently Colombia and part of Peru and Brazil), the Captaincy of Venezuela (currently Venezuela y part of the Guianas), Ecuador (with part of the current territory of Peru) and the Isthmus of Panama.

 

 

A:

Comenzar a (to start to):

A principios del siglo XIX el Imperio español comienza a desintegrarse como consecuencia de la invasión napoleónica.

At the beginning of the XIX century the Spanish Empire starts to disintegrate as a consequence of the Napoleonic invasion.

Dar lugar a (to cause):

Este interés de construir un nuevo canal interoceánico aunado a las rivalidades de las viejas potencias europeas, junto con la nueva potencia emergente, dieron lugar a todo tipo de tratados, intrigas, traiciones y conspiraciones.

This interest in building a new interoceanic channel combined with the rivalries of the old European powers, along with the new emerging power, cause the appearance of all kinds of treaties, intrigues, betrayal and conspiracies.

 

HACIA:

Expanderse hacia (to spread through, across):

Nuevos órdenes mundiales aparecen en el viejo continente y una nueva Nación se expande hacia el Oeste en Norte América desplazando a los pueblos de la gran pradera.

New world orders appear in the Old Continent and a new Nation spreads across the West in North America taking the place of the people of the great prairie.

 

CON:

Soñar con (to dream about):

La primera, por parte de Nueva España (actual México) que soñaba con crear una gran Nación que abarcara toda Centroamérica y que perfectamente podría llegar hasta Panamá.

The first one was proposed by New Spain (current Mexico) who dreamed about creating a great Nation that would encompass all of Central America and that could effectively include Panama.

Arrancar con (to start with):

Este proyecto crearía una gran Nación dentro de un vasto territorio que arranca con una promesa de proyección histórica soñada desde tiempos coloniales.

This project would create a great Nation within a vast territory and it started with a promise of historical repercussion dreamed since colonial times.

 

HASTA:

Llegar hasta (to come up to, to include):

La primera, por parte de Nueva España (actual México) que soñaba con crear una gran Nación que abarcara toda Centroamérica y que perfectamente podría llegar hasta Panamá.

The first one was proposed by New Spain (current Mexico) who dreamed about creating a great Nation that would encompass all of Central America and that could effectively include Panama.