Prepositional verbs (darse cuenta de)

Verbs that require "de"

In Spanish, certain verbs require a specific preposition before a noun or infinitive. Verbs like darse cuenta de (to realize) and enterarse de (to find out about) always need de.

She realizes the truth.
Ella se da cuenta de la verdad.
Our family is going to find out about everything.
Nuestra familia va a enterarse de todo.

Even if the next part of the sentence starts with que (that), you still keep the de:

My sister realizes that the letter is fake.
Mi hermana se da cuenta de que la carta es falsa.

Verbs that require "en"

To say you are thinking about something or someone, use pensar en. Another common verb is fijarse en (to notice or pay attention to).

I always think about the owners of the trunk.
Siempre pienso en los dueños del baúl.
You have to pay attention to the hidden details.
Tienes que fijarte en los detalles ocultos.

Verbs that require "a"

Other verbs connect to their objects with the preposition a, like atreverse a (to dare to) and pertenecer a (to belong to).

No one dares to open the envelope.
Nadie se atreve a abrir el sobre.
Maybe the trunk belongs to our grandfather.
A lo mejor el baúl le pertenece a nuestro abuelo.