En also commonly follows certain verbs where its meaning may not be obvious. For example, with pensar, it typically means "about": Pensamos en ti, we're thinking about you.
Here are some of the more common prepositional phrases using en as well as verbs that are associated with en, along with sample sentences. Note that in most cases, different translations conveying a similar meaning are possible.
- en absoluto, not at all, in the least. (No preocuparse en absoluto de lo que la gente opina de uno mismo. Don't worry in the least what people's opinion of you is.)
- en la actualidad, now, at the current time. (La víctimas del esclavismo en la actualidad viven con miedo de denunciar a sus opresores. At the current time, victims of slavery live in fear of reporting their oppressors.)
- aplicarse en, to devote oneself to. (Me aplicaba en la escuela para sacar buenas notas. I worked hard at school in order to get good grades.)
- en broma, as a joke. (Siguieron pensando que hablaba en broma. They kept on thinking he was kidding.)
- en busca de, in search of. (Navegó enormes distancias en busca de la legendaria fuente de la juventud. He traveled huge distances looking for the legendary fountain of youth.)
- en cambio, on the other hand. (Tú siempre llegas puntual, en cambio yo siempre llego tarde. You're always arriving on time, while I on the other hand always arrive late.)
- en consecuencia, as a result. (¿Piensa en cambiar su voto en consecuencia con lo que ocurra durante la campaña electoral? Are you thinking about changing your vote as a result of what happened during the election campaign?)
- consistir en, to consist of. (La estrategia polaca consistía en una rígida defensa de toda la frontera. The Polish strategy consisted of an inflexible defense against the entire border.)
- en contra, against, in opposition. (Estoy en contra de la nueva ley. I am against the new law.)
- en efecto, indeed, affirmation of agreement. (La foto me encanta, en efecto. Es perfecto. I love the photo, indeed. It's perfect.)
- esforzarse en, to try hard to. (Me esforcé en buscarlos por la web. I tried hard to find them on the Internet.)
- fijarse en, to notice. (No me fijé en su reacción. I didn't notice her reaction.)
- influir en, to affect. (Es una de las 12 personas que más influyeron en el desarrollo de la medicina antes del siglo XX. He is one of the 12 people who most affected the development of medicine before the 20th century.)
- en lugar de, instead of. (Los astronautas comen tortillas en lugar de pan. The astronauts eat tortillas instead of bread.)
- pensar en, to think about. (Siempre pensaba en huir, pero no podía arriesgarme. I always thought about fleeing, but I couldn't take the risk.)
- quedar en, consentir en, convenir en, to agree. (Quedamos en comer al día siguiente. We agreed to eat the next day.)
- en resumen, en resumidas cuentas, en suma, briefly, in summary. (En resumidas cuentas, si no pagas te rematan el vehículo para pagar lo que falta. Briefly put, if you don't pay they will repossess your vehicle in order to pay what is owed.)
- en seguida, immediately. (Llame al médico en seguida si su niño piensa en el suicido. Call the doctor at once if your child is thinking about suicide.)
- en serio, seriously. ( Afirmó que se deben tomar en serio los acuerdos. He stated that we ought to take the agreements seriously.)
- vacilar en, dudar en, to hesitate. ( No vaciles en comunicarte conmigo. Don't hesitate to communicate with me.)
- viajar en, to travel by (a means of transportation). (Viajaron en tren por todo el país. They traveled by train throughout the country.)
- en vivo, live (as an adjective). (Siga los resultados de futbol en vivo en tiempo real. Follow the soccer results live in real time.)
