DIFFERENCE BETWEEN ABOVE Y OVER
Both prepositions can mean «encima de», but over is used when there is movement and to express the idea of «al otro lado de», or that of «cubrir», and above, to indicate a higher level, position or place:
A lamp hung over the table - Una lámpara colgaba sobre la mesa.
He jumped/looked over the
fence - Saltó/miró por encima de la valla.
Spread the cloth over the
table - Extiende el mantel sobre la mesa.
We flew over the Sahara - Volamos sobre el Sáhara.
Of all the bridges over the Thames, I like London Bridge best - De todos los puentes sobre el Támesis, London Bridge es el que más me gusta (en este caso puede usarse tamb. across).
In any other case, above and over are interchangeable:
Of all the bridges over the Thames, I like London Bridge best - De todos los puentes sobre el Támesis, London Bridge es el que más me gusta (en este caso puede usarse tamb. across).
In any other case, above and over are interchangeable:
The sky over/above our heads - El cielo sobre nuestras cabezas
Our neighbour wants to build a room over/above the garage - El vecino quiere construir una habitación encima del garaje.
Oher meanings of above:
- 'por encima de', 'más que' 'superior a' (superiority, greater importance, higher rank):
Her work is above average - Su trabajo es superior a la media.
He values honour above life - Valora el honor más que la vida.
She married above her station - se casó por encima de su condición social.
He lives above his means - Vive por encima de sus posibilidades.
- 'más de', 'sobre' (temperature, amount, number, age) (also over)
We seldom have temperatures above zero in our village - Rara vez tenemos temperaturas sobre cero en nuestro pueblo.
There's nothing in the shop above £1 - No hay nada en la tienda que cueste más de £1.
She married above her station - se casó por encima de su condición social.
He lives above his means - Vive por encima de sus posibilidades.
- 'más de', 'sobre' (temperature, amount, number, age) (also over)
We seldom have temperatures above zero in our village - Rara vez tenemos temperaturas sobre cero en nuestro pueblo.
There's nothing in the shop above £1 - No hay nada en la tienda que cueste más de £1.
Applicants must
be above the age of 20 - Los
solicitantes deberán tener más de
20 años de edad.
- 'por encima de', 'libre de' (exclusion):
He's above suspicion - Está libre de sospecha.
Sandra would never lie; she's above that - Sandra nunca mentiría; ella está por encima de eso.
- 'demasiado díficil para alguien' (also beyond):
That book is way above me - Ese libro es demasiado difícil para mí.
- 'por encima de' (noise) (also over):
He was trying in vain to make himself heard above the noise - Intentaba en vano hacerse oír por encima del ruido.
Other meanings of over:
- 'más de' (time, amount, age, height, speed, temperature):
My grandma is over ninety - Mi abuela tiene más de 90 (años).
Dave earns over 5,000 euros a month ´- Dave gana más de 5.000 euros al mes.
He's over two metres tall - Mide más de dos metros.
They've been married for over 50 years - Llevan casados más de 50 años.
You're driving over the speed limit - Estás conduciendo a velocidad superior al límite.
- 'sobre' (superiority, control):
Charles I reigned over a great empire - Carlos I reinó sobre un gran imperio.
He has no control over his emotions - No controla sus emociones.
- 'sobre' (subject, issue):
He's having problems over his income tax - Está teniendo problemas sobre su impuesto sobre la renta (about es más usual para este significado).
- 'por' (means of communication used):
I've heard that over the radio - Lo he oído por la radio.
- 'más allá de', 'al otro lado de':
There's a village over that hill - Hay un pueblo al otro lado de esa colina.
- 'por (el borde de)' (down from sth.):
Their car fell over the cliff - Su coche se cayó por el acantilado.
- 'por, a través de' (in many parts of sth.):
I've travelled all over the world - He viajado por todo el mundo.
He trudged for ten hours over the snow - Caminó con dificultad sobre la nieve durante diez horas.
- 'durante', 'mientras':
We can talk about that over dinner - Podemos hablar de eso durante la comida.
- idea de superación (of difficulty, problem. illness, etc.):
We're over the worst now - Ya ha pasado lo peor.
Thank goodness he's got over his pneumonia - Gracias a Dios ha superado/se ha curado de su pulmonía.
EXERCISE
Fill in the gaps with over or above as required:
1.- The castle sat in the mountains ..........the town.
2.- Now we have an advantage ...... them.
3.- His behaviour has always been .........reproach.
4.- You don't expect me to remember .........seventy names, do you?
5.- If you hang the notice ...........the door, everybody will see it.
6.- He must be ............sixty now.
7.- They spread a blanket ..........the body.
8.- The water in the recent floods reached well ..........my knee.
9.- He was wearing a coat ........... his sweater.
10.- He never rose ...... the rank of corporal.
11.- It isn't wise to talk about that .......... the phone.
12.- It isn't the first time I catch our neighbour looking ............ our fence.
13.- She put her hands ........ her eyes and began to cry.
14.- The plane was flying high .......... the clouds.
KEY
1.- above; 2.- over; 3.- above; 4.- over; 5.- above/over; 6.- over; 7.- over; 8.- above; 9.- over; 10.- over; 11.- over; 12.- over; 13.- over; 14.- above/over.
For the meanings of above y over as adverbial particles, see my Gramática Inglesa, 9ª ed., pp. 503-504 (above) y 509-510 (over), and for phrasal verbs with over, pp. 404-405.
Sandra would never lie; she's above that - Sandra nunca mentiría; ella está por encima de eso.
- 'demasiado díficil para alguien' (also beyond):
That book is way above me - Ese libro es demasiado difícil para mí.
- 'por encima de' (noise) (also over):
He was trying in vain to make himself heard above the noise - Intentaba en vano hacerse oír por encima del ruido.
Other meanings of over:
- 'más de' (time, amount, age, height, speed, temperature):
My grandma is over ninety - Mi abuela tiene más de 90 (años).
Dave earns over 5,000 euros a month ´- Dave gana más de 5.000 euros al mes.
He's over two metres tall - Mide más de dos metros.
They've been married for over 50 years - Llevan casados más de 50 años.
You're driving over the speed limit - Estás conduciendo a velocidad superior al límite.
- 'sobre' (superiority, control):
Charles I reigned over a great empire - Carlos I reinó sobre un gran imperio.
He has no control over his emotions - No controla sus emociones.
- 'sobre' (subject, issue):
He's having problems over his income tax - Está teniendo problemas sobre su impuesto sobre la renta (about es más usual para este significado).
- 'por' (means of communication used):
I've heard that over the radio - Lo he oído por la radio.
- 'más allá de', 'al otro lado de':
There's a village over that hill - Hay un pueblo al otro lado de esa colina.
- 'por (el borde de)' (down from sth.):
Their car fell over the cliff - Su coche se cayó por el acantilado.
- 'por, a través de' (in many parts of sth.):
I've travelled all over the world - He viajado por todo el mundo.
He trudged for ten hours over the snow - Caminó con dificultad sobre la nieve durante diez horas.
- 'durante', 'mientras':
We can talk about that over dinner - Podemos hablar de eso durante la comida.
- idea de superación (of difficulty, problem. illness, etc.):
We're over the worst now - Ya ha pasado lo peor.
Thank goodness he's got over his pneumonia - Gracias a Dios ha superado/se ha curado de su pulmonía.
EXERCISE
Fill in the gaps with over or above as required:
1.- The castle sat in the mountains ..........the town.
2.- Now we have an advantage ...... them.
3.- His behaviour has always been .........reproach.
4.- You don't expect me to remember .........seventy names, do you?
5.- If you hang the notice ...........the door, everybody will see it.
6.- He must be ............sixty now.
7.- They spread a blanket ..........the body.
8.- The water in the recent floods reached well ..........my knee.
9.- He was wearing a coat ........... his sweater.
10.- He never rose ...... the rank of corporal.
11.- It isn't wise to talk about that .......... the phone.
12.- It isn't the first time I catch our neighbour looking ............ our fence.
13.- She put her hands ........ her eyes and began to cry.
14.- The plane was flying high .......... the clouds.
KEY
1.- above; 2.- over; 3.- above; 4.- over; 5.- above/over; 6.- over; 7.- over; 8.- above; 9.- over; 10.- over; 11.- over; 12.- over; 13.- over; 14.- above/over.
For the meanings of above y over as adverbial particles, see my Gramática Inglesa, 9ª ed., pp. 503-504 (above) y 509-510 (over), and for phrasal verbs with over, pp. 404-405.
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