The personal a is a preposition used to precede the direct object when that object is a person. It has no equivalent translation in English. You can look up the meaning of a Spanish word at the online Spanish dictionary. It is the online source for Spanish meanings and pronunciations.
How and When to Use the personal A in Spanish
Let's take a look at the following sentences to understand the usage of the personal a:
I see Mary - Yo veo a Mary.
George calls María - George llama a María.
The direct object is the "recipient" (noun or pronoun) that receives the action the verb. In the example sentence above, Mary is the direct object of the sentence.
- And since Mary is a human being, you must insert the personal "a" between the verb and the direct object.
- You must add the personal a when talking about one person or multiple people.
For example:
I see them - Yo veo a ellas
I remember my grandmother - Recuerdo a mi abuela
- The personal a may be used if the direct object is a domesticated animal, a pet, a country, or an object that the speaker wants to attach some personal feelings towards.
For example:
La mujer acaricia a su perro - The woman pets her dog
Yo extraño mucho a Estados Unidos - I miss the United States very much
- When the direct object is a person but the person's name or title starts with el, simply contract a with el to become al.
For example:
La mujer llama al doctor - The woman calls the doctor.
- The personal a is used with certain pronouns such as alguien (somebody), nadie (nobody), quién (whom), alguno (some), and ninguno (none) when referring to people.
For example:
No veo a nadie - I don't see anyone
¿Taxis? No vi ningunos - Taxis? I didn't see any
Quiero golpear a alguien - I want to hit somebody
- The personal a is not used when the direct object is not a human being or is an ordinary animal that the speaker felt for no personal feelings.
For example:
No conozco tu ciudad - I don't know your city
Miro la jirafa - I look at the giraffe
- The personal a is not used if the direct object is an indefinite person or if it doesn't refer to anyone specific.
For example:
I need two carpenters - Necesito dos carpinteros
I need a gardener - Necesito médico
I know two carpenters - Conozco a dos carpinteros
- The personal a is not used after "tener" or the verb form "hay" even if the direct object is a person.
For example:
Tengo dos hermanos - I have two brothers
Hay cinco chicas - There are five girls
So that is how to use the personal a in Spanish. Since the personal a has no direct English translation, students can easily forget to use it. It's important to practice until it comes naturally to you.