Besides location, the preposition en has two other major uses: it expresses broad time periods and means of transportation. It also appears in a few fixed expressions of manner. While a covers exact clock times, en covers years, months, seasons, and larger time frames — as well as the vehicles we travel in.
Years and historical moments
To say that something happened in a particular year or historical period, use en.
Mi abuelo nació en 1942.
My grandfather was born in 1942.
En el siglo veintiuno, todo cambió con el internet.
In the twenty-first century, everything changed with the internet.
Spanish does not use a preposition before el año, so en 1995 is enough. Adding en el año 1995 is also correct but more formal.
Months and seasons
Use en for both months and seasons. There is no distinction between in and on as in English.
| Spanish | English |
|---|---|
| en abril | in April |
| en diciembre | in December |
| en primavera | in spring |
| en invierno | in winter |
En primavera, los árboles del parque se llenan de flores.
In spring, the trees in the park fill with flowers.
Siempre vamos a la playa en julio o agosto.
We always go to the beach in July or August.
The moment of speaking
En also appears in expressions that locate something at the present moment or at a specific instant.
Other common examples include en aquel entonces (back then), en ese instante (at that instant), and en esos días (in those days). These fixed expressions all follow the pattern en + moment word.
Means of transportation
The most surprising use of en for English speakers is with vehicles. When you say by car, by plane, or on the bus in English, Spanish uses en.
| Spanish | English |
|---|---|
| en carro | by car |
| en avión | by plane |
| en tren | by train |
| en autobús | by bus |
| en bicicleta | by bike |
| en barco | by boat |
Prefiero viajar en tren cuando hay mucho tráfico.
I prefer to travel by train when there is a lot of traffic.
Fuimos al aeropuerto en taxi porque ya era tarde.
We went to the airport by taxi because it was already late.
The only common exception is walking, which uses a pie (on foot) — not en pie. On horseback, Spanish also uses a caballo.
Manner: in a way
En also appears in several fixed expressions that describe how something is done.
| Spanish | English |
|---|---|
| en voz alta | out loud, aloud |
| en voz baja | in a low voice |
| en broma | as a joke |
| en serio | seriously |
| en secreto | in secret |
Por favor, lee el poema en voz alta para toda la clase.
Please read the poem aloud for the whole class.
Lo dije en broma, no te enojes.
I said it as a joke, do not get angry.
Summary
En is a workhorse preposition:
- Broad time: en 1995, en abril, en invierno, en este momento.
- Transport: en carro, en avión, en bicicleta, en autobús.
- Manner: en voz alta, en broma, en serio.
Together with the location uses, these cover almost every situation where English uses in, on, at, by, or during a time or vehicle. With a, de, and en mastered, you have the three foundational prepositions of Spanish in hand.
Related Topics
- Prepositions OverviewA1 — An introduction to Spanish prepositions and the main words used to connect ideas.
- En: LocationA1 — How en covers in, on, and at when describing location in Spanish.
- A: Time ExpressionsA1 — How to use a to tell time and build common time expressions in Spanish.