Spanish Phrase
Protege los objetos por todos lados.
Meaning
A direct command telling someone to keep the items safe from every direction, i.e., to protect them on all sides. It can refer to physical protection (wrapping, covering) or metaphorical safeguarding.
When to use
Use this phrase when giving instructions for handling fragile or valuable items—packing, moving, storing, or even when advising a child to be careful with toys.
✦Grammar Breakdown
Protegelosobjetosportodoslados
Imperative (tú) form
‘Protege’ is the affirmative tú‑command of the verb proteger; it drops the final –s of the present‑indicative tú form.
Direct object with article
‘los objetos’ is a masculine plural direct object; the definite article must agree in gender and number.
Preposition por + noun phrase
‘por’ introduces the location or manner; here it means ‘on/around’. The phrase ‘todos los lados’ literally translates to ‘all the sides’.
Agreement in todos los lados
‘todos’ agrees with the masculine plural noun ‘lados’; the article ‘los’ is often omitted in casual speech (todos lados) but is standard in formal writing.
🗨In Conversation
¿Cómo debo guardar las piezas frágiles?
How should I store the fragile pieces?
Protege los objetos por todos lados.
Protect the objects on all sides.
✕Common Mistakes
Protege los objetos por todo lados.
‘todo’ must agree in gender and number with ‘lados’; use ‘todos los lados’ or simply ‘todos lados’.
Protege los objetos en todos lados.
The preposition for ‘on all sides’ is ‘por’, not ‘en’. ‘En todos lados’ means ‘in every place’, which changes the meaning.
Protege los objetos por todos lado.
‘lado’ must be plural because you’re referring to multiple sides.
↔Alternatives
Cuida los objetos por todos lados.
Take care of the objects on all sides.
Proteja los objetos por todos los lados.
Protect the objects on all sides. (formal ‘usted’ command)
Protege los objetos en todas partes.
Protect the objects everywhere.
Cultural Tip
In most Spanish‑speaking countries the informal command uses the ‘tú’ form (Protege). In formal contexts or when speaking to strangers, switch to the ‘usted’ form (Proteja). The phrase ‘por todos lados’ is common in Latin America; in Spain you’ll more often hear ‘por todos los lados’ or ‘por todas partes’. Remember that the imperative can sound abrupt, so adding a softener like ‘por favor’ makes it polite: ‘Por favor, protege los objetos por todos lados.’