Spanish Conversation · Level 12
90 words
Spanish word
detrás
Pronunciation
IPA/deˈtɾas/
Meaning
- adverbbehind
Example
El perro está detrás de la casa.
The dog is behind the house.
More examples
Me siguió por detrás unos minutos.
He followed me from behind for a few minutes.
Core concept
A position at the back of one thing relative to a named reference.
Common phrases
detrás de
behind
estar detrás de
be behind
por detrás
from behind
Similar words
atrás: In the back area of something, a general rear position often used without a following preposition.
Definition in Spanish
Señala la posición posterior respecto a otro elemento y que se usa frecuentemente en la construcción 'detrás de + sustantivo'.
Word origin
Detrás comes from the combination of de and tras, with tras deriving from Latin trans meaning 'across' or 'beyond', so detrás expresses location at the back relative to another element.
Usage tips
- Detrás normally appears as detrás de + noun, and de + el contracts to detrás del, while atrás can often stand alone or indicate backward motion.