Prepositions

Prepositions constitute a special problem in translations between languages. There are not one-to-one correspondences between the prepositions in two different languages. The use of a slightly different preposition can sound so definitely wrong.

Here is my anecdote concerning this matter. A student from a Latin American country was learning English in a program before beginning graduate work in the U.S. As part of this program he was making a presentation before an audience of native English speakers. He intended to use the phrase On the other hand but instead he said In the other hand. The audience roared with laughter, almost as much as if he had said On the other foot.

Prepositions in Danish