Kilo Lingo
Spanish grammar Part of Chapter 28

CEFR B1-B2

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Test yourself (22 questions)

Spanish Verbs with Prepositions: pensar en, soñar con

By Michael McGettrick and Sergio Linares-HernandesUpdated 12 October 2026

Many Spanish verbs take a fixed preposition, and it rarely matches the English one. Learn the verb and its preposition as one unit, like a noun's gender:

Quick check

Three quick questions on what you have just read. The full practice is further down.

Spot the mistake

0/3

Each sentence has one wrong word. Tap it.

  • . - I think about you.
  • . - I dream of travelling.

Verbs and their prepositions at a glance

the preposition the verb takesWhat do the colours mean?
VerbExampleEnglish
.It all depends on you.
.I think about you.
.I dream of travelling.
.I learnt to swim.
.Don't worry about me.
(none) .I'm looking for work.

The preposition stays the same before a noun, a pronoun or an infinitive. After con, the pronouns and fuse with it:

  • . - I stopped smoking.
  • . - I'm counting on you.

AQA GCSE Spanish lists verbs followed by a preposition at Foundation and Higher tier.

Verbs that take de

the preposition the verb takesWhat do the colours mean?

follows many reflexive verbs of memory and feeling, and is the everyday way to say stop doing:

VerbExampleEnglish
¿ ?Do you remember that summer?
.I forgot the keys.
.I didn't notice the time.
.It depends on the situation.
.It's about money.
.Stop shouting.
.I'm glad to see you.
.He/she complains about everything.
.He/she fell in love with her.

Verbs that take en

the preposition the verb takesWhat do the colours mean?

follows verbs of thinking, trusting and insisting:

VerbExampleEnglish
.I think about you every day.
.I trust my sister.
.He/she insisted on paying.
.Pay attention to the details.
.It took me an hour to get there.
.It turned into a problem.
.The job involves helping.

changes meaning with what follows it:

PatternExampleEnglish
.I'm thinking about the exam.
.I think you' right.
¿ ?What do you think of him?

asks for an opinion, mostly in a question. Thinking about something is .

Verbs that take con

the preposition the verb takesWhat do the colours mean?

Con follows a small, very common set, several of them about other people:

VerbExampleEnglish
.I dream of a house on the beach.
.He/she married a Frenchman.
.You can count on me.
Ana.I ran into Ana.
.I did my duty.

English marries someone with no preposition at all; Spanish needs the con: María. (he married María).

Verbs that take a

the preposition the verb takesWhat do the colours mean?

A follows verbs of starting, learning, helping and daring, mostly before an infinitive:

VerbExampleEnglish
.It started to rain.
.I learnt to swim as a child.
.He/she helped me move the sofa.
.I don't dare tell him/her.
.I got used to the city.
.We attended the meeting.
.I called again.

Verbs that take por

the preposition the verb takesWhat do the colours mean?

follows verbs of worrying, fighting and asking after:

VerbExampleEnglish
.Don't worry about me.
.They fought for freedom.
.He/she asked after you.
.He/she is interested in music.

also takes : . means the same. asks after someone. To ask for a thing is , with no preposition: . (I asked for the bill).

Verbs that take no preposition

the preposition the verb takesWhat do the colours mean?

The reverse trap: these verbs already contain the English preposition, so they take a plain object:

EnglishSpanishEnglish sentence
look for .I'm looking for work.
ask for .I asked for the bill.
wait for .I'm waiting for the bus.
look at .Look at the moon.
listen to .I'm listening to the radio.
pay for .I paid for dinner.

A person as the object takes the personal a, which is not a preposition the verb chose: . (I'm waiting for my mother). is heard in parts of Latin America, but the plain object is standard everywhere.

Mistakes English speakers make

WrongRightWhy
takes con
me con takes
me María María takes con
takes a
(stopped) stop doing is
already means look for
bus already means wait for

What to do next

  1. Learn each verb with its preposition, out loud: , .
  2. Do the sort and story drills below.
  3. Then por vs para for the two words that both mean for.

Practise: test yourself

Sort into groups

0/8

Which preposition goes after each verb?

Tap a word, then the group it belongs in.

Complete the story

0/5

Choose the preposition for each gap.

My sister's wedding

Mi hermana se casó un francés. Se enamoró él en París. Al principio, mi madre se preocupaba ella, pero ahora piensa la boda con alegría. Yo aprendí bailar para la fiesta.

Gap 1 of 5

Spot the mistake

0/4

Each sentence has one wrong word. Tap it.

Pick the right one

0/5

Choose the preposition the verb takes.

  1. Todo depende ti.

  2. Confío mi hermana.

  3. No te preocupes mí.

  4. Volví leer el libro.

  5. Insistió pagar la cena.

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Frequently asked questions

How do I know which preposition a Spanish verb takes?
Mostly you memorise it with the verb, like a noun's gender. A few tendencies help: verbs of starting and learning take a before an infinitive ( a, a), and many reflexive verbs of memory and feeling take ( , ). But and fit no pattern.
Is it or ?
is think about: (I think about you). asks for an opinion, mostly in questions: ¿ ? (what do you think of him?). is think that: (I think you' right).
Is it or ?
: (I fell in love with her). English says in love with, so learners reach for con, but con belongs to : (he married her). You fall in love someone and marry con them.
Which Spanish verbs take no preposition where English uses one?
(look for), (ask for), (wait for), (look at), (listen to) and (pay for). The English preposition is already inside the Spanish verb: (I'm looking for work), (I paid for dinner). A person as the object still takes the personal a: a .
What does a mean before an infinitive?
Again. a means I called again, not I went back to call. It is the everyday way to say again in Spanish, alongside : a (don't do it again).