There are two primary ways to say “from” in Spanish: de and desde. Learning how to use these Spanish prepositions will prepare you to talk about origins, starting points, and distances with Spanish speakers.
As you build more detailed sentences with “to” in Spanish and other prepositions, you’ll want to begin incorporating “from” for even more accuracy and precision in your conversations. This guide will help you choose correctly between de and desde in various situations. For additional practice, immerse yourself in Rosetta Stone’s interactive lessons, where you’ll naturally encounter and practice using essential words like these in context.
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De
Your default translation of “from” in Spanish will be de. It is fundamental for talking about where people are from, what objects are made from, and more.
Use de to ask ‘Where are you from?’ in Spanish
Familiarizing yourself with the Spanish irregular verb ser and the preposition de is essential for asking “Where are you from?” and being able to respond with “I am from…” in Spanish. For example:
- ¿De dónde eres? = Where are you from?
- Soy de Honduras.= I’m from Honduras.
- ¿De dónde son ellos? = Where are they from?
- Son de Ecuador. = They’re from Ecuador.
Express a point of departure with de
To talk about someone or something leaving or going away from a place, de is your go-to preposition. When indicating a point of origin with de, you’ll find common Spanish nouns for places like la biblioteca (the library) and la escuela (the school) helpful.
Here are some examples:
- El tren parte de la estación a las siete. = The train departs from the station at seven.
- Ella viene del trabajo. = She is coming from work.
While de helps you express the act of leaving, learning how to say “goodbye” in Spanish completes these departures perfectly!
Use de to talk about the material or composition of an object
To talk about the material or composition of household items, clothing, and other important Spanish words, de is essential. Here’s how to use de in this context:
- La bufanda está hecha de seda. = The scarf is made from silk.
- La mesa está hecha de nogal. = The table is made from walnut.
Describe a cause or reason with de
De can also be used to explain why something happens or from what it resulted. For example:
- Murió de hambre. = He died from hunger.
- Lloraban de júbilo. = They were crying from joy.
Desde
You’ll use desde for “from” when you want to suggest a starting point in time or space and to indicate a point of view.
Use desde to express a starting point in space
Use desde to say where something starts, like where a journey begins or where you see something from.
- La vista desde la cima es impresionante. = The view from the top is breathtaking.
- Caminamos desde el parque hasta el río. = We walked from the park to the river.
Indicate a starting point in time with desde
Desde provides information about when something began and has continued. For example:
- Desde aquel día, nunca más se vieron. = From that day on, they never saw each other again.
- Desde hoy en adelante, voy a comer más sano. = From now on, I’m going to eat healthier.
Use desde to indicate a perspective
To talk about how something is perceived from someone’s point of view or experience, you can use desde.
- Desde mi punto de vista, la idea es buena. = From my point of view, the idea is good.
- Desde mi experiencia, es difícil. = From my experience, it’s difficult.
Key takeaways for ‘from’ in Spanish
Prepositions are the links that bind your sentences together, and learning how to use them correctly is key to sounding natural and making your sentences flow smoothly. Now that you know how to say “from” in Spanish, you can apply these rules to real-life contexts.
- De and desde are your two main ways to say “from” in Spanish, with each serving distinct purposes depending on the context.
- De is essential for expressing origin, composition, and departure. Use it to indicate where someone or something is from, what an object is made of, or the starting point of a movement away from a place.
- Desde specifies a starting point in time or space, or conveys a particular perspective. It’s used to indicate when an action or state began, where a trip started, or to express a viewpoint.
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