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Object Transient aphasias are often observed in the first few days in patients who undergo surgical resection in the language-dominant hemisphere. The aims of this prospective study were to characterize the incidence and nature of these aphasias, and to determine whether there are relationships between location of the surgical site and deficits in specific language domains. Methods 110 patients undergoing resection to the language-dominant hemisphere participated in the study. Patients’ language was evaluated prior to surgery, 2-3 days post-surgery, and 1 month post-surgery using the Western Aphasia Battery and the Boston Naming Test. Voxel-based lesion-symptom mapping was used to identify relationships between the location of the surgical site assessed by MRI, and deficits in fluency, information content, comprehension, repetition, and naming. Results 71% of patients were classified as aphasic based on the Western Aphasia Battery 2-3 days post-surgery, with deficits observed in each of the language domains examined. Fluency deficits were associated with resection of the precentral gyrus and adjacent inferior frontal cortex. Reduced information content of spoken output was associated with resection of the ventral precentral gyrus and posterior inferior frontal gyrus (pars opercularis). Repetition deficits were associated with resection of the posterior superior temporal gyrus. Naming deficits were associated with resection of ventral temporal cortex, with mid temporal and posterior temporal damage more predictive of naming deficits than anterior temporal damage. By 1 month post-surgery, nearly all language deficits were resolved, and no language measure except for naming differed significantly from pre-surgical levels. Conclusions These findings show that transient aphasias are very common after left hemisphere resective surgery, and that the precise nature of the aphasia depends on the specific location of the surgical site. This patient cohort provides a unique window on the neural basis of language, since surgical resections are discrete, their locations are not limited by vascular distribution or patterns of neurodegeneration, and language can be studied prior to substantial reorganization.