TABLE OF THE PRINCIPAL PREPOSITIONS

a to
al(1) to the
ab from, beginning with
akontre contrarily to
ante before (space)
antel(2) before the
apse next to
apsel next to the
da from
dal from the
cis on this side
de of
del of the
do after (time)
dol after the
dorse rear, back of
dre behind
drel behind the
dun during, while
eske except
eskel except to the
exe out, out of
face facing
gre in spite of
grel in spite of the
in in
nel in the
ine inside
inloke instead of
infolge following
inte between, among
intel between, among the
intre inside
intrel inside the
inye within
inyel within the
je(3) to, in, for, by, near
jel to, in, for, by, near the
kauze because of
kauzel because of the
kon with
kol with the
konforme according to
kontre against
kontrel against the
les according to
longale along, at the side of
mede amidst
meze by means of
nir near
obe above, up
on on, over
ol on, over the
pe by
pel by the
po for
pol for the
pre before (time)
prel before the
pri about, concerning
pril concerning the
pro for, in favor of, per
rektele overleaf
rir behind
rispe in reply to
ritre behind
sen without
she at, to
sub under
sube under, below
subel under the
sur over, above
sure above
terge on the back, overleaf
tra, trans beyond
tru through
trul through the
u(4) at, in possession of
ul at the, in possession of the
um around
unte down
untel down the
us until

(1) Neo very often contracts the preposition with the definite article:

Il dir sa dengo al pov vir. He gave his money to the poor man.
Prel marlo de ma frat. Before my brother’s marriage.
Antel fenso un tablo A table (is) before the window.
Ma frat marlir prel guer My brother married before the war.
Dol guer ecos prosperir. After the business flourished.
El gir al garden kol filin del ensener. She went to the garden with the teacher’s daughter.
Zi parlar pril tertrem. They are talking about the earth-quake.

(2) The terminal l of the contraction does not shift the stress from the first syllable: ántel, ápsel, éskel, kóntrel, káuzel, etc.
(3) je has all sorts of meanings and is used whenever doubt is felt regarding use of other prepositions.
(4) the preposition u (replaced in Latin with the dative) corresponds to the Russian u: u mi libro I have, I possess a book (Latin: est mihi liber; Russian: u menya kniga).

PREPOSITIONS AND ADVERBS are frequently used as PREFIXES, as well for adjective as for adverbial use:
preguera pre-war; preguere before the war; prenasa prenatal; prenase before the birth; preexista preexistent; preexiste before the existence; doskola after-school; doskole after school; doguera after-war; doguere after the war; nokviva still living; semliba always beloved; ma semlibat my always beloved (man, son, lover); ma semlibin my always beloved (wife, daughter, girl); niudat never heard; nivinkat never vanquished; maname e name ma frat in my name and in my brother’s name.

EXERCISE

Vo lo dom de ta profesor? Where is your professor’s house?
Lo dom del profesor drel klezo. The professor’s house is behind the church.
Mi ju venar dal klezo. I have just come from church.
Perdinde lo klil del pordo, il entrir trul fenso del kuk. Having lost the door’s key, he entered through the kitchen’s window.
El skribir un libro pril guer. She wrote a book about the war.
Mi exor au kon tu au kon nilun. I’ll go out either with you or with nobody.
Nilosun venir etmatin. Nobody else came this morning.
Vur tu i somoso? Would you like to have something else?
Dank, mi nesar niloso. Thank you, I don’t want anything else.
Et labor endenda inyel vek. This work is to be finished within the week.
Sar lo libro ol tablo? Is the book on the table?
U il du filyos e un filin. He has two sons and a daughter.
No fexu kontre destin! Don’t struggle against destiny!
Nel mensocar vu par edi kelore In the dining-car you can eat at any time.
Vidir vu somun nel dom del librer? Did you see anybody at the book-seller’s house?
Ye sir sa filin kon la spozo. There was his daughter with her husband.
L’ensener parlar al alevos. The teacher talks to the pupils.
Il parlar kon un alevin. He is talking with a (girl) pupil.
Il parlar pril libro de la patro. He is talking about her father’s book.
Il parlar pri sa libro. He is talking about his (own) book.
Lo vir jel griza gantos. The man with the grey gloves.
Tos venir kune kol nuv vestos. All came together with the new garments.
Kelo il dicar, no pavu. Whatever he says, don’t be afraid.
Mi prenar etun; totosunos po vu. I take this one; all others are for you.
Eto me plar, yeno no. This pleases me, that does not.
Mi fonir al doktor; somosun rispir. I called the doctor; somebody else answered.
Venu kon mi shel doktor, ose mi no gor. Come with me to the doctor’s; otherwise I will not go.
Rispe va brif, nos glada v’informi nos ar lo libro vu kirar. In reply to your letter, we are glad to inform you that we have the book you are looking for.
Es vu par atendi us kras, mi vole exor kon vu. If you can wait until tomorrow, I’ll willingly go out with you.