ELONIO

Prepositions before 'que' (de que, en que)

Keeping Prepositions Before "que"

In Spanish, many verbs and adjectives are paired with a specific preposition, like de, en, or a. When you connect these expressions to a subordinate clause starting with que (that), you must keep the preposition right in front of que.

While English often drops prepositions here ("I realized that..." instead of "I realized of that..."), dropping them in Spanish is a grammatical error.

Expressions with "de que"

Expressions involving mental states, memories, or emotions often require de—such as darse cuenta de (to realize), acordarse de (to remember), and estar consciente de (to be aware of). When followed by a clause, use de que.

During therapy, I realized that I repeated the same pattern.
Durante la terapia, me di cuenta de que repetía el mismo patrón.
Now I am aware that denial prevents acceptance.
Ahora estoy consciente de que la negación evita la aceptación.
If you faced that, you would remember that the session helps you.
Si afrontaras eso, te acordarías de que la sesión te ayuda.

Expressions with "en que"

Verbs expressing persistence, trust, or focus often pair with en—like insistir en (to insist on), confiar en (to trust), and enfocarse en (to focus on). Keep the en exactly where it belongs: right before que.

In the session, she was insisting that the trauma was real.
En la sesión, ella estaba insistiendo en que el trauma era real.
The doctor trusts that therapy will help me to heal.
El doctor confía en que la terapia me ayudará a sanar.
We focus on the fact that you must face denial.
Nos enfocamos en que debes afrontar la negación.

Expressions with "a que"

The same rule applies to verbs that take the preposition a, such as acostumbrarse a (to get used to). Even if it feels redundant, do not drop the a before a que clause.

You have to get used to the fact that acceptance helps to heal.
Tienes que acostumbrarte a que la aceptación ayuda a sanar.
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