back
vs
from

QUICK ANSWER

"Back" is a noun which is often translated as "la espalda", and "from" is a preposition which is often translated as "de". Learn more about the difference between "back" and "from" below.

back(

bahk

)

A noun is a word referring to a person, animal, place, thing, feeling, or idea (e.g., man, dog, house).

noun

1. (anatomy)

a. la espalda

(f) means that a noun is feminine. Spanish nouns have a gender, which is either feminine (like la mujer or la luna) or masculine (like el hombre or el sol).

(F)

(person)

I will never turn my back on you.Nunca te daré la espalda.

b. el lomo

(m) means that a noun is masculine. Spanish nouns have a gender, which is either feminine (like la mujer or la luna) or masculine (like el hombre or el sol).

(M)

(animal)

Put the parcels on the back of the donkey.Pongan los paquetes en el lomo del burro.

2. (reverse side)

a. el respaldo

(m) means that a noun is masculine. Spanish nouns have a gender, which is either feminine (like la mujer or la luna) or masculine (like el hombre or el sol).

(M)

(chair)

You can hang your jackets on the back of your chairs.Pueden colgar sus chaquetas en el respaldo de las sillas.

b. el dorso

(m) means that a noun is masculine. Spanish nouns have a gender, which is either feminine (like la mujer or la luna) or masculine (like el hombre or el sol).

(M)

(paper)

Please, read the warning on the back of the page.Por favor, lea la advertencia al dorso de la página.

3. (rear part)

a. el fondo

(m) means that a noun is masculine. Spanish nouns have a gender, which is either feminine (like la mujer or la luna) or masculine (like el hombre or el sol).

(M)

There are seats available at the back of the plane.Hay asientos disponibles en el fondo del avión.

An adjective is a word that describes a noun (e.g., the big dog).

adjective

4. (rear)

a. trasero

Please, use the back door when leaving.Por favor, usen la puerta trasera para salir.

b. último

I prefer sitting in the back row.Prefiero sentarme en la última fila.

A transitive verb is a verb that requires a direct object (e.g., I bought a book.).

transitive verb

5. (to move backwards)

a. dar marcha atrás

She backed her car into the parking place.Dio marcha atrás para meterse en el estacionamiento.

b. retroceder

He would not back his truck out to let me pass.No quería retroceder su camioneta para dejarme pasar.

6. (to support)

a. respaldar

There was no one to back her idea.No había nadie que respaldara su idea.

An adverb is a word that describes a verb, an adjective, or other adverbs (e.g., to run quickly, very tired).

adverb

7. (in space)

a. atrás

Step back; the floor is wet.Den un paso atrás; el suelo está mojado.

8. (in time)

This refers to an idiomatic word or phrase for which there is no word-for-word translation.

no direct translation

Back when I was your age, we walked to school.Allá cuando yo tenía tu edad, caminábamos a la escuela.

Back when no one had a car, the roads around here were very different.En aquel entonces, cuando nadie tenía coche, las rutas por aquí eran muy distintas.

Things were different back then.Las cosas eran distintas en aquella época.

9. (returned)

a. de vuelta

She went to the store and was back in no time.Fue a la tienda y estuvo de vuelta en cinco minutos.

They will be back at six.Estarán de vuelta a las seis.

from(

fruhm

)

A preposition is a word that indicates the relationship between a noun and another word (e.g., He ran through the door.).

preposition

1. (in space)

a. de