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- dar
de
of, from
A versatile preposition built around the core idea of "source" or "origin"
Encoding Strategies:
repetition
The most useful translations for de are of or from. Nearly every way it's used connects back to a single idea: one thing comes from, belongs to, or is defined by another0.
de
of, from (origin)
Where someone or something comes from.
- Soy de México = I'm from Mexico
- Los vinos de España son famosos = The wines of Spain are famous
of, 's (possession)
María's book is "the book of María," because the book comes from her.
- El libro de María = María's book (the book of María)
- La casa de mis padres = My parents' house (the house of my parents)
of (what it's made of)
The 'of' tells you what the thing or its contents come from, like a table 'of' wood or a glass 'of' water.
- Una mesa de madera = A wooden table (a table of wood)
- Un vaso de agua = A glass of water
of, about (topic)
The content comes from that subject, like a book 'of' history or a conversation 'about' politics.
- Un libro de historia = A history book (a book of/about history)
- Hablar de política = To talk about politics
as (role)
Your role is the source of what you do. You work 'of' waiter, just like a book is 'of' history.
- Trabajo de camarero = I work as a waiter
- Actuó de protagonista en la obra = She performed as the lead in the play
with, from (cause)
The cause is the source of the action or thing. You're not crying 'with' sorrow, you're crying 'from' it.
- Llorando de pena = Crying with sorrow (crying from sorrow)
- Temblando de frío = Shivering with cold (shivering from cold)
if (conditional)
You're placing yourself in an imagined situation and speaking 'from' it. 'From' a position of having known, I wouldn't have gone.
- De haberlo sabido, no habría ido = If I had known, I wouldn't have gone
- De ser cierto, eso cambiaría todo = If that were true, it would change everything
de ... a
from ... to (span)
Marks the starting and ending points of a span. The source is the point it starts 'from' and 'a' marks where it lands.
- El concierto va de las ocho a las diez = The concert goes from eight to ten
- De lunes a viernes = From Monday to Friday