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Spanish position words that need 'de'

When you describe where something is in English, you often connect the position word directly to the place. You might say that a hotel is "near the station" or a cat is "under the table". In Spanish, many position words cannot attach directly to a noun. They need a small connecting word to act as a bridge.

For many common location words, this bridge is the preposition de. Words like cerca, lejos, and detrás require de whenever you mention the specific reference point.

Word list
detrás deA1 behind detrás de la casa a lo largo deA2 along a lo largo del río a través deA2 across a través del bosque abajoA2 downstairs abajo de la escalera (Latin America) al ladoA2 beside al lado de la puerta arribaA2 upstairs arriba de la mesa (Latin America) cercaA2 near cerca de la estación debajo deA2 under debajo de la mesa delante deA2 in front of delante del hotel en frente deA2 in front of en frente del banco lejosA2 far lejos del centro adentroB1 indoors adentro de la caja (Latin America) afueraB1 outdoors afuera de la casa (Latin America) dentroB1 indoors dentro de la caja en el interiorB1 indoors en el interior del edificio fueraB1 outdoors fuera de la ciudad más allá deB1 beyond más allá de las montañas
How it works

If you want to say "near the park", you cannot just say cerca el parque. You must add de to link the position word to the place. Remember that when de is followed by the masculine singular article el, they combine to form the contraction del.

El hotel está cerca de la estación y lejos del aeropuerto.
(The hotel is near the station and far from the airport.)
El gato duerme debajo de la mesa.
(The cat sleeps under the table.)
Inside, outside, front and back

Many everyday words describing locations follow this exact pattern. This includes words for being inside and outside, such as dentro, en el interior, and fuera. It also includes words for front and back, like delante de, en frente de, and detrás de.

Las llaves están dentro de la caja.
(The keys are inside the box.)
El jardín está detrás de la casa.
(The garden is behind the house.)
Nos vemos en frente del cine.
(See you in front of the cinema.)
Distance and paths

You also use this structure to describe distance and paths. Words like al lado, a lo largo de, a través de, and más allá de all require de before the noun. Another classic example is encima de, which means on top of something.

Hay muchos árboles a lo largo del río.
(There are many trees along the river.)
Caminamos a través del bosque.
(We walked through the forest.)
La farmacia está al lado de la puerta.
(The pharmacy is next to the door.)
Standalone words vs. reference points

Some expressions have de built into their dictionary form, like debajo de. However, words like cerca, lejos, al lado, dentro, and fuera only need de when you actually name the reference point. If the place is already understood from context, you simply use the position word on its own.

Mi oficina no está aquí, está muy lejos.
(My office is not here, it is very far away.)

Finally, in Latin American Spanish, it is very common to use directional words like adentro, afuera, arriba, and abajo along with de to describe locations. For example, you might hear someone say arriba de la mesa instead of encima de la mesa.

Dejaste tus zapatos afuera de la casa.
(You left your shoes outside the house.)
Summary

When describing locations in Spanish, remember that position words usually cannot touch a noun directly. Whenever you state the reference point, use de as a bridge to connect your position word to the place.