Prepositions of movement can be confusing. You know the difference between in and on, but what about into versus onto? Or across versus through?
Let's cut through the noise. Here's a straightforward guide to the most common English prepositions of movement, with examples that sound like real English—not textbook drills.
The Core Prepositions
Direction & Destination
To – सबसे बुनियादी मूवमेंट प्रीपोज़िशन। यह किसी जगह, व्यक्ति या चीज़ की ओर दिशा दिखाता है।
I walked to the park.
She handed the keys to me.
Into – बाहर से अंदर की तरफ जाना। सोचें “in + to।”
He jumped into the pool.
Put the milk into the fridge.
Onto – नीचे से ऊपर किसी सतह पर चढ़ना।
The cat jumped onto the kitchen counter.
She climbed onto the roof.
Towards – दिशा में जाना, लेकिन जरूरी नहीं कि गंतव्य तक पहुँचना हो।
The dog ran towards me.
We're driving towards the mountains.
यहाँ मुख्य श्रेणियों का एक त्वरित दृश्य सारांश है:
Path & Surface
Across – एक सपाट क्षेत्र या सतह के एक तरफ से दूसरी तरफ जाना।
She swam across the lake.
I walked across the street.
Through – किसी चीज़ के अंदर से बाहर निकलना, या तीन‑आयामी स्थान के एक सिरे से दूसरे सिरे तक जाना।
We drove through the tunnel.
He walked through the forest.
Along – रेखा का अनुसरण करते हुए चलना, जैसे सड़क, नदी या कॉरिडोर।
They strolled along the beach.
Walk along this hallway until you see the exit sign.
Over – ऊपर से और पार जाना। यह किसी बाधा को भी पार करने का अर्थ हो सकता है।
The bird flew over the house.
He jumped over the fence.
Around – गोलाकार में या कुछ से बचते हुए चलना।
We walked around the building.
She turned around when I called her name.
Vertical Movement
Up / Down – सरल। ऊँची या नीची स्थिति की ओर जाना।
The kids ran up the stairs.
I slid down the hill on a sled.
एक त्वरित टिप: अंग्रेज़ी बोलने वाले अक्सर up और down का उपयोग करते हैं भले ही कोई वास्तविक ऊर्ध्वाधर परिवर्तन न हो। “I’m walking down the street” का मतलब यह नहीं कि सड़क ढलान वाली है—यह सिर्फ एक मुहावरा है। ज़्यादा सोचें मत।
Tricky Pairs Explained
Into vs. In to
Into एक शब्द है और इसका अर्थ किसी चीज़ में प्रवेश करना है। In to दो शब्द हैं—आमतौर पर क्योंकि in एक फ्रेज़ल वर्ब का हिस्सा होता है।
She came into the room. (entering)
She came in to grab her keys. (came in is the phrasal verb; to shows purpose)
Onto vs. On to
उसी तर्क के साथ।
He climbed onto the horse.
He held on to the horse's mane. (held on = phrasal verb)
Practice Exercise
Fill in the blanks with the correct preposition of movement. Answers are below—no peeking!
- We drove ______ the bridge to reach the island. (over / across / through)
- The children ran ______ the classroom when the bell rang. (into / onto / to)
- I walked ______ the river until I found a good spot to fish. (along / across / through)
- She threw her bag ______ the bed. (onto / into / over)
- He pushed his way ______ the crowd to get to the front. (through / across / around)
Answers: 1. across, 2. into, 3. along, 4. onto, 5. through
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