logo enforex

Teaching Spanish in Spain and Latin America since 1989

logo enforex
Personal A in Spanish

Personal A in Spanish

Personal A in Spanish. Do you know when to use the personal A in Spanish? Find out here how to use the personal A in Spanish and some examples.

  1. Home
  2. Blog
  3. Learning Spanish
  4. Personal A in Spanish

When you study a language, the most normal thing is to try to translate literally everything you want to convey or explain. However, many times there are no textual ways to translate some words or phrases, especially in Spanish.

The clearest example is the use of personal A in Spanish as a preposition to introduce a direct object. The use of this A has no equivalent in English or other languages, so it is a peculiarity unique to Spanish.

So, to continue expanding your knowledge and to learn Spanish at a new level, in this article at Enforex, you will learn what is the personal A in Spanish, how and when it is used and some examples so you can understand it better. Keep reading and don't miss anything!

How to use the personal A in Spanish?

To fully understand what this personal A in Spanish is, you must first learn the concept of the direct object. The direct object in Spanish is the person, animal or thing on which the function of the verb falls. If you want to find out what the direct object of a sentence is, you must ask the verb "¿qué?" (what) or "¿a quién?" (to whom).

For example, in the sentence "María estudia español" (Maria studies Spanish), the direct complement is español (Spanish), because when you ask the verb what does Maria study? It gives you the answer: Spanish.

Another example would be: "La casa tiene un jardín verde" (The house has a green garden), where the direct complement is jardín verde (green garden), because you ask the verb what does the house have?

It can also be the case that the direct object is a person, this is where the personal A comes into play.

Therefore, the personal A in Spanish refers to the use of the Spanish preposition "a" when a direct object that is a person or, in some cases, a personified being, is introduced in a sentence. Although this personal A is a specific grammatical term used to describe the function in the sentence structure.

In a conversational or non-technical context, one could simply say that this “a” has a prepositional use to mark a person as the direct object of a verb. For example, in the sentence "Juan besó a Luis" (Juan kisses Luis), you would find the personal A in Spanish.

In case you are wondering, no, in English there is no translation of this concept, since it is not necessary to add a proposition to the verb and subject. In fact, it would be incorrect to add this "a" in English to a sentence, but it is mandatory to add this "a" in Spanish sentences.

When to use the personal a in spanish

When to use the personal A in Spanish

As mentioned above, the personal A is used when the direct object is a person. For example:

The personal A is also used when the direct object is an animal or a personified being:

When the personal A in Spanish is not used

The opposite case can also occur, and the personal A is not necessary. For example, with inanimate objects, with verbs that express possession and when the direct object is an indefinite person. Here are some examples:

Below, you will find some examples of the use of the personal A in Spanish:

In conclusion, the personal A in Spanish is an important grammatical rule that helps clarify the relationship between the verb and its direct object when it refers to a person, animal, plant or being that is personified. So, if you want to keep moving forward and sound like a native speaker when you speak Spanish, you need to understand the use of this preposition.

Related Posts
  • Spanish slang
    Spanish slang Spanish slang. Improve your communication and your level with the most used Spanish slang words, phrases and expressions.
  • Spanish reflexives verbs
    Spanish reflexives verbs Spanish reflexive verbs. Discover the list of reflexive verbs in Spanish, how and when they are used and common reflexives verbs in Spanish with Enforex.
  • Direct and indirect objects in Spanish
    Direct and indirect objects in Spanish Direct and indirect objects in Spanish. Find out what is the function of the Spanish direct and indirect object and how to use them like a native speaker.