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"Over" is a form of "over", a preposition which is often translated as "encima de". "By" is a preposition which is often translated as "por". Learn more about the difference between "by" and "over" below.
by(
bay
)A preposition is a word that indicates the relationship between a noun and another word (e.g., He ran through the door.).
a. por
The bridge was destroyed by the flood waters.El puente quedó destruido por las inundaciones.
The house was built by an architect.La casa fue construida por un arquitecto.
a. de
We're reading a book by Octavio Paz in Spanish class.Estamos leyendo un libro de Octavio Paz en la clase de español.
b. al lado de
I waited by the door until my name was called.Esperé al lado de la puerta hasta que me llamaron.
a. por
The cowboy came by the old buffalo trail.El vaquero llegó por la vieja senda de los bisontes.
a. a
We’re going to go by my mom’s house for lunch on Saturday.Vamos a ir a la casa de mi mamá a comer el sábado.
a. mediante
The energy produced by fusion is emitted as light.La energía producida mediante fusión se emite como luz.
11. (according to)
b. conforme a
By the new rules, there is no parking allowed near the fire station.Conforme a las nuevas normas, está prohibido estacionarse cerca de la estación de bomberos.
12. (mathematics)
a. no direct translation
This refers to an idiomatic word or phrase for which there is no word-for-word translation.
The wind is blowing east by southeast.El viento sopla estesudeste.
We were sailing north by northwest.Navegábamos en dirección nornoroeste.
a. por
The new deck will measure ten feet by eight feet.La nueva plataforma tendrá una medida de diez pies por ocho.
a. por
Are you paid by the hour or by the job?¿Te pagan por hora o por trabajo?
She broke the record by two seconds.Batió el récord por dos segundos.
16. (with gerund)
a. no direct translation
This refers to an idiomatic word or phrase for which there is no word-for-word translation.
She ended by thanking everyone who had helped.Terminó dando las gracias a todos los que habían ayudado.
They lowered their prices a lot, and by doing so they expected to fill the store with customers.Bajaron muchísimo los precios, y con esto pretendían llenar la tienda de clientes.
An adverb is a word that describes a verb, an adjective, or other adverbs (e.g., to run quickly, very tired).
18. (past)
a. no direct translation
This refers to an idiomatic word or phrase for which there is no word-for-word translation.
Our neighbor passed by without saying hello.Nuestro vecino pasó sin saludarnos.
You don’t own the street. Let me by!No eres dueño de la calle. ¡Déjame pasar!
a. no direct translation
This refers to an idiomatic word or phrase for which there is no word-for-word translation.
I'll stop by later.Me paso más tarde por ahí.
Your dad came by today.Tu papá pasó por aquí hoy.
20. (on one side)
a. no direct translation
This refers to an idiomatic word or phrase for which there is no word-for-word translation.
Can you keep the dress by for me? I’ll come back and pay for it later.¿Me puede apartar el vestido? Volveré luego a pagarlo.
I have a little money put by for emergencies.Tengo ahorrado un poco de dinero para emergencias.
over(
o
-
vuhr
)A preposition is a word that indicates the relationship between a noun and another word (e.g., He ran through the door.).
1. (above)
b. por encima de
There's a painting of Venice over our bed.Hay un cuadro de Venecia por encima de nuestra cama.
d. sobre
There's a mistletoe over the doorway into the living room.Hay un muérdago sobre la puerta a la sala de estar.
a. más de
I made over a hundred dollars working from home.Gané más de cien dólares trabajando desde casa.
b. mayor de
You have to be over 21 to be allowed to drink alcohol in this country.Hay que ser mayor de 21 años para poder beber alcohol en este país.
c. por encima de
Our sales increased over two percent last quarter.Nuestras ventas aumentaron por encima de un dos por ciento el pasado trimestre.
3. (during)
a. por
It's not safe for us to talk about this over the phone.No es seguro hablar de esto por teléfono.
5. (because of)
a. por encima de
I got tired of having a boss over me, so I started my own company.Me cansé de tener a un jefe por encima de mí, pues fundé mi propia empresa.
8. (across)
a. por encima de
We'll be going over the bridge in five minutes.Pasaremos por encima del puente en cinco minutos.
An adverb is a word that describes a verb, an adjective, or other adverbs (e.g., to run quickly, very tired).
a. no direct translation
This refers to an idiomatic word or phrase for which there is no word-for-word translation.
I looked over at my husband and he was asleep.Miré a mi esposo y estaba dormido.
My family came over for Hanukkah.Mi familia vino para la Hanukkah.
11. (excessively)
a. demasiado
Todd was accused of being over careful when planning his trip to the jungle.A Todd se le acusaba de ser demasiado cauteloso al momento de planificar su excursión a la jungla.
13. (on the back)
An adjective is a word that describes a noun (e.g., the big dog).
An interjection is a short utterance that expresses emotion, hesitation, or protest (e.g., Wow!).
