De...? It doesn't translate..

Question

Hey, so many times when I translate a spannish sentence with the word "de" in it there is no direct translation for it.

e.g "Ellos beben café despues de cenar"

In english this just translates to "They drink coffee after dinner"

So my question is, what help does the "de" give to the sentence and how do I know when to use it??

Thanks

Answer 1

Prepositions are (for me at least) one of the hardest concepts involved in learning Spanish. Honestly, the only advice I can give you is to study the language in depth and remember that many things just don't translate directly.

"Prepositions are one of the hardest concepts involved in learning Spanish"--> you're not alone, my friend. I've heard a lot of people say the same thing. I've also heard it said about English prepositions :) - MariaAlejandraA, Sep 30, 2011

Answer 2

I've recently realized I am very weak in prepositions myself. I was wondering today, actually... is it correct to use "de" with DURANTE?

I always thought I learned this preposition as "durante de" but have recently noticed almost all examples do not use "de" (including the ones on SpanishDict). Does anyone have any insight on this?? It may also clear up some confusion for sebgray44. Gracias!

Answer 3

De means of

Answer 4

I agree it's a bit difficult to know exaclty how to use prepositions at the beginning but just as a guide that may be helpful.

'Antes' is always followed by 'de' when preceding an action as in 'cenar'.

Also when preceding an adverb of time for exmaple, "Antes del mediodia" = "before midday". "Antes de la medianoche" = "before midnight".

Same applies for "despues"...(after)