In Spanish, location adverbs are usually constructed according to the following structure: Adverb (as such) or adverbial phrase + the preposition “de” + nominal nucleus to which the adverb refers.

For example (using first and third person pronouns):

• encima de mí / de usted;
• arriba de mí / de usted;
• debajo de mí / de usted;
• delante de mí / de usted;

and so forth.

Nevertheless, being that the preposition ‘de’ also defines ownership, many native Spanish speakers interpret adverbial phrases of this type as qualifying for ownership pronouns: “delante mío/ suyo”, “detrás mío/suyo”, “encima mío/suyo”. In more formal writing, these forms are considered spurious or illegitimate.