Skip to main content
All Portuguese (Brazilian) study resources

Study Resource: Compound prepositions of place

By: Fabiana Dametto Oliveira

The following are some common compound prepositions of place in Brazilian Portuguese. This means that they are phrases that are used like prepositions of place.

Compound prepositionUseExample
em frente a / na frente de
Translation: in front of, facing

to indicate a position ahead of something or someone else

Eu estou em frente à estação de metrô.
Translation: I’m in front of the metro station.
atrás de
Translation: behind

to indicate that something or someone is located on the other side of something or someone else

O quintal fica atrás da casa.
Translation: The yard is behind the house.
atrás de
Translation: beside, next to

to indicate that something or someone is at the side or next to something or someone else

Eu moro do/ao lado do parque central.
Translation: I live next to the central park.
dentro de
Translation: inside of

to indicate that something or someone is situated inside of something or somewhere else

Eu não estou no estacionamento. Eu estou dentro do supermercado.
Translation: I’m not in the parking lot. I'm inside of the supermarket.
fora de
Translation: outside

to indicate that something or someone is on the external side of something or somewhere else

Ele deixou a salada fora da geladeira.
Translation: He left the salad out of the fridge.
perto de
Translation: close, near

to indicate a short distance between people, things, or places

Os estudantes moram perto da escola.
Translation: The students live close to the school.
longe de
Translation: far from

to indicates a long distance between people, things, or places

O Brasil fica longe da Austrália.
Translation: Brazil is far from Australia.