Choosing the best preposition for any occasion

Question

Choosing the best preposition for any occasion

A Peruvian friend asked me what I was going to do this weekend:

I am going to be working on my house.
The implication is that I will be doing home repairs.

I am going to be working at my house.
The implication is that I will be doing my regular job, but working from home.

Voy a estar trabajando en mi casa.
What the listener might infer is unclear, at least to me.

How would a native speaker naturally communicate these two ideas?

Voy a estar trabajando sobre mi casa?
Voy a estar trabajando de mi casa?


Gracias de antemano.

Good question amigo :) - ian-hill, Sep 26, 2015

One of the problems is that English has many more prepositions than Spanish. - ian-hill, Sep 26, 2015

Ian, what are those in English? - chileno, Sep 26, 2015

As an example Chileno - For example Spanish "en" can mean "in" "on" "by" or "at" in English. - ian-hill, Oct 10, 2015

More meanings or more prepositions? - chileno, Oct 10, 2015

More prepositions - have a look here Chileno - http://www.englishclub.com/vocabulary/prepositions.htm - ian-hill, Oct 10, 2015

You are right if "in front of" is considered *a* preposition. - chileno, Oct 10, 2015

Gracias a todos. :D - jrschenk, Oct 10, 2015

Chileno ,tiene usted mas razón que un santo - 000a35ff, Oct 10, 2015

From this entire discussion I am taking away this: I need to lighten up on translating things so literally, and go more for communicating the same thought. Thanks, guys. - jrschenk, Oct 10, 2015

I'm not much closer to an answer than I was to start with, but it was a very good question, jr. Worth a vote. :>) - AnnRon, Oct 10, 2015

That's why you people, English natives, need to translate from Spanish to English. :) - chileno, Oct 11, 2015

Chileno, I will take your advice to heart, I want to improve. Many thanks, amigo. - jrschenk, Oct 12, 2015

Good. :) - chileno, Oct 12, 2015

Answer 1

I am going to be working on my house. The implication is that I will be doing home repairs.

Voy a estar haciendo reparaciones caseras/ reparando mi casa/ haciendo chapuzas en casa.

I am going to be making a work at home.

Voy a estar trabajando en casa/mi casa.

I am going to be working at my house. The implication is that I will be doing my regular job, but working from home.

Voy a estar trabajando desde casa/ mi casa

Muchísimas gracias, txelis! - jrschenk, Sep 26, 2015

De nada - 000a35ff, Sep 26, 2015

Doing work at my house or even doing work to my house. Not making - if you make work for someone you have usually been untidy or done something wrong. - Mardle, Sep 26, 2015

De acuerdo .... "reparar" es la mera clave - 005faa61, Sep 26, 2015

Julian. Mero/a is a word I just cannot get a handle on how to use. I understand it when I hear or see it but never use it because I can't figure out when it works or not. - gringojrf, Oct 10, 2015

Answer 2

This is an example of something that I think we all struggle with. English is a very distinct language while Spanish is much more vague en, de, por, para, a; all seem to have a myriad of meanings and at times it is near impossible to choose which is correct. Just take a look at the book of a 501 verbs book at all the verbs that require prepositions and they don't make sense from an at, on, in, by, for sense to an English speaker.

In conclusion, the answers here are perfect and we should all take them to heart. Reword things and provide context. Instead of "working on" (I believe Ian would call this a modal) user reparar, pintar, limpiar, etc.

The other, "working at", (another modal?) gives me, personally, a harder time. Take a look at the dictionary entry for "at". It will make you want a drink. But then where am I going to have that drink? At home, at work, in the car, by the pool, etc.

Oh well, no on eever said it would be easy.

There you go. - chileno, Oct 10, 2015

Answer 3

Just like that? Context will play a roll, else you have to change the translation by interpreting it and providing the context in your answer. Just like txelis did.

Is this answer directed at Mardle (comment above)? or me? Gracias. - jrschenk, Sep 26, 2015

To you, based on what txelis told you. - chileno, Sep 26, 2015

OK, I think I understand everything you said, except "Just like that?", sorry. I appreciate your patience. - jrschenk, Sep 27, 2015

Sorry for the delay... I meant that in Spanish you need to give more context... - chileno, Oct 10, 2015

Good answer. - gringojrf, Oct 10, 2015