Today we talk about the Spanish prepositions: HACIA and HASTA. If you still do not how to use them properly, El Rincón del Tándem Spanish school will give some useful tips to master them in no time 🙂
Spanish prepositions HACIA and HASTA might lead to confusion or error. Nevertheless, once you learn their meaning and usages, you will be able to easily avoid any mistake.
To start with, HACIA is used to indicate the direction to express and attitude or to express approximation in time.
HASTA, instead, refers to a destination or a limit.
Let’s learn more!
The Spanish preposition HACIA
In Spanish, we use this preposition:
– To indicate direction, motion towards a place, a person or an object
- El bus salió hacia Bilbao = The bus left for Bilbao
- Camina hacia el quiosco y espérame al final de la calle = Walk towards the newsstand and wait for me at the end of the street
- Mueve la silla hacia la izquierda = Move the chair to the left
– To indicate figurative motion. In this case, the motion is towards an abstract noun (idea, concept, a situation, etc.)
- Los descubrimientos científicos fueron un paso más hacia una nueva época = The scientific findings were a further step towards a new era
- Hay que mirar hacia el futuro con optimismo = We need to look to the future with optimism
– To indicate direction without motion
- Pilar miró hacia mí y sonrío = Pilar looked towards me and smiled
- En la carretera hacia mi casa hay una gasolinera = On the road towards my house there is a petrol station
– To express time
The equivalent in English would be around, about, approximately.
- La cena estará lista hacia las 21.00h = Dinner will be ready around 9 p.m.
- Llegaré a casa hacia las 17.00H = I will arrive home at 5 p.m. approximately
– To express feelings, emotions or attitude towards someone or something
- Su actitud hacia el trabajo es excelente = Her attitude towards job is excellent
- Paula tiene sentimientos encontrados hacia él = Paula has opposite feelings for him
LOOK OUT!
HACIA can be easily confused with HACÍA. HACÍA is a conjugated form of the Spanish verb HACER (to do). More specifically is the 1st and 3rd singular person of the indicative imperfect tense.
- Me llamó la vecina mientras hacía mis deberes = The neighbour called me when I was doing my homework
- El abuelo era un gran cocinero; hacía tartas de manzana cada domingo = Grandpa was a great cook; he made apple pies every Sunday
The Spanish preposition HASTA
In Spanish, it is used:
– To indicate destination or the final spot of a journey or a route
- Iré hasta el bar para dar un paseo = I will take a stroll to the bar
- Esta senda llega hasta el monasterio = This route goes to the monastery
– To express limit in terms of time, space and amount.
- La escuela está abierta hasta las 20.00H = The school is open until 8 p.m.
- En el teatro caben hasta 200 personas = The theatre can accommodate up to 200 people
- Por favor, llena el vaso hasta el borde = Please, fill the glass to the brim
IMPORTANT!
Hasta is also an ADVERB. As for prepositions, adverbs are invariable elements of the speech.
As an adverb, HASTA means “even”.
- Todos se fueron antes del final de la ceremonia, hasta mi mejor amigo = Everybody left the ceremony before the end, even my best friend
We hope that this post on the Spanish prepositions HACIA and HASTA will help you avoid any mistake in a future.
If you want to know more about Spanish grammar or to learn new Spanish words, stay tuned with our blog.
Finally, we remind you that our Spanish school, El Rincón del Tándem, keeps providing Spanish lessons in Valencia in a cosy and friendly space.
Till the next blog!
