How to Use 'A' and 'En' in Spanish

Once you've got Spanish down pretty well and you're forming your own sentences, it can get tricky determining whether to use 'A' or 'En' to express where, when and how things are. Generally speaking, in Spanish 'a' is used as a connector between ideas, concepts and styles. 'En' is usually used for locations and things of physical presence. Talking about time is the most difficult because it uses both 'a' and 'en' depending on the situation.

Instructions

1. Use 'a' when discussing distance, styles, prices, and opinions. For example: De aqui al parque; Esta a 20 metros; Al fondo; A la Francesa; A mano; A dos euros la docena; A mi no me gusta. Also use 'a' to give orders. Putting 'a' before any infinitive(unconjugated) verb will result in a command or instruction. For example: A trabajar; A bailar

2. Use 'en' when talking about object placement and states of being, including physically or mentally. For example: Esta en la mesa; En la bolsa; Estaba en pijamas; En paz.

3. 'A' and 'En' are both used in time expressions. Use 'a' when referring to a specific time, age, recurring times and time spans. For example: A las cinco; A los once meses; Tres veces a la semana; De lunes a viernes. Use 'en' when referring to a specific time period, not hour; also use 'en' when talking about the duration of an event. For example: En 1997; En enero; En la noche; Escribió en 20 minutos. Example with both 'a' and 'en': Se casaron en junio y se divorciaron a los 3 meses.