The Personal A of Spanish

The Personal A of Spanish In English, theres no difference in the way the following two sentences are structured: I saw the tree.I saw Teresa. But in the Spanish equivalent, theres an obvious difference: Vi el rbol.Vi a Teresa. The difference is a one-letter word - a - but its an essential one to learn. Known as the personal a, the short preposition is used to precede direct objects when those objects are people. Although a is usually translated as to, the personal a normally isnt translated into English. The First Rule of the Personal A The basic rule is a simple one: The a precedes the mention of a specific person or persons used as a direct object, and (except in some rare cases where its used for clarification) it is not used in other cases. Some simple examples: Levantà ³ la taza. (He lifted the cup.)Levantà ³ a la muchacha. (He lifted the girl.)Oigo la orquestra. (I hear the orchestra.)Oigo a Taylor Swift. (I hear Taylor Swift.)Recuerdo el libro. (I remember the book.)Recuerdo a mi abuela. (I remember my grandmother.)No conozco tu ciudad.  (I dont know your city.)No conozco a tu padre. (I dont know your father.)Quiero comprender la leccià ³n. (I want to understand the lesson.)Quiero comprender a mi profesora. (I want to understand my teacher.) The a is not used if the object doesnt refer to anyone specific: Conozco a dos carpinteros. (I know two carpenters.)Necesito dos carpinteros. (I need two carpenters.) Keep in mind that a is a very common preposition with a variety of translations. The basic rule here pertains to its use preceding a direct object, not in the numerous other cases where a preposition is called for. Although the basic rule is quite simple, there are a few exceptions (arent there always?), and even an exception to an exception. Key Takeaways: The Personal A in Spanish The personal a is used in Spanish before direct objects.The personal a is generally used when the direct object is a person, or an animal or thing that is thought of as a having personal qualities.Although in other contexts a is the equivalent of the English to, the personal a is usually not translated to English. The Exceptions With certain pronouns: This is really more of a clarification rather than an exception. When used as direct objects, the pronouns alguien (somebody), nadie (nobody) and quià ©n (whom) require the personal a. So do alguno (some) and ninguno (none) when referring to people. No veo a nadie. (I dont see anyone.)Quiero golpear a alguien. (I want to hit somebody.) ¿A quià ©n pertenece esta silla? (Whose chair is this?) ¿Taxis? No vi ningunos. (Taxis? I didnt see any.) ¿Taxistas? No vi a ningunos. (Taxi drivers? I didnt see any.) Pets: Many pet owners think of their animals as people, and so does Spanish grammar, so the personal a is used. But the a isnt used with ordinary animals. Veo a mi perro, Ruff. (I see my dog, Ruff.)Veo tres elefantes. (I see three elephants.) Personification: A country or object can be personified, that is it can be treated as if it were a person. Use of the personal a often implies some sort of a personal relationship, such as an emotional attachment, with the noun personified. Yo extraà ±o mucho a Estados Unidos. (I very much miss the United States.)Abracà © a la muà ±eca a causa de era mi amiga. (I hugged the doll, for she was my friend.) With tener: Generally, the a is not used after tener. Tengo tres hijos y una hija. (I have three sons and a daughter.)No tengo jardinero. (I dont have a gardener.) Exceptions to an Exception After tener: The personal a is used after tener when it is used in the sense to physically hold someone or to have someone somewhere. Tengo a mi hijo en los brazos. (I have my son in my arms.)Tengo a mi hija en el pesebre, I have my daughter in the crib. The personal a can also be used after tener when its usage suggests a particularly close or emotional relationship. Cuando estoy triste y necesito hablar, tengo a mis amigos. (When I am sad and need to talk, I have my friends.)Tengo amigos.  (I have friends.)