delante de (spanish) - meaning, definition, translation, pronunciation

Part of Speech

"Delante de" is a prepositional phrase in Spanish.

Phonetic Transcription

/delˈante ðe/

Translation Options into English

• in front of
• before

Meaning and Usage

"Delante de" is used to indicate a position or location that is in front of something or someone. It can refer to both physical space and abstract ideas such as time or priority. The phrase is commonly used in both oral and written Spanish, with slightly more frequency in oral speech given its straightforward directional meaning.

Example Sentences

• El coche está delante de la casa.
• The car is in front of the house.
• Ella se sentó delante de su profesor durante la clase.
• She sat in front of her teacher during the class.

Idiomatic Expressions

While "delante de" itself is not commonly used in idiomatic expressions, it can form part of larger phrases:

• Tener algo delante de los ojos.
• To have something right in front of one's eyes.

• No puedo creer que el libro estaba delante de los ojos todo el tiempo y no lo vi.

  • I can't believe the book was right in front of my eyes the whole time and I didn't see it.

• Poner a alguien delante de los demás.

• To put someone in front of others (to prioritize someone).

• El jefe siempre pone a su asistente delante de los demás en las reuniones.

  • The boss always puts his assistant in front of others in meetings.

• Delante de un problema.

• In front of a problem.
• Es mejor actuar delante de un problema antes que esperar a que se agrave.
  • It's better to act in front of a problem than to wait for it to worsen.

Etymology

The phrase "delante de" is derived from Spanish, where "de" is a preposition meaning "of" and "delante" stems from the combination of "de" and "alante," which means "in front" or "forward." This reflects the spatial concept of position.

Synonyms and Antonyms

Synonyms: - En frente de (in front of) - Ante (before)

Antonyms: - Detrás de (behind) - Atras (back)

This provides comprehensive information concerning the phrase "delante de" in Spanish.