The personal a
You’ll use Spanish nouns
as a subject (who or what is doing an action) or a direct object (who
or what is receiving an action). When the noun is a direct object and
refers to a person or pet, the personal a must be used right before the noun. That’s when the Spanish word a does not translate into English. Here’s how it’s used in context:
Veo a un hombre en las escaleras. = I see a man on the stairs.
Yo extraño a mi perro. = I miss my dog.
If the object is inanimate (a book or lake) or if you’re using a direct object pronoun in Spanish to replace the object, the a must be omitted.
Vi unas montañas hermosas. = I saw some beautiful mountains.
¿Cuándo lo viste? = When did you see it?
With verbs of movement
If you want to talk about where you or someone else is going, you’ll need to use a in Spanish to connect one of the Spanish irregular verbs like ir (to go), venir (to come), or another verb of movement to the destination.
Voy a la tienda de regalos.= I’m going to the gift shop.
Sí, pero me duele mucho el brazo, así que vine a la sala de urgencias. = Yes, but my arm hurts a lot, so I came to the emergency room.
Before an infinitive in certain expressions
Many fixed verb expressions consist of a verb conjugated in one of the verb tenses in Spanish followed by an infinitive. Sometimes a preposition, like a, appears between the verbs. Here are some examples:
Voy a votar. = I am going to vote.
Ella empezó a enseñar arte hace veinticinco años. = She began teaching art twenty-five years ago.
In other instances, the infinitive appears directly after the verb without the a.
Yo quiero ser presidente algún día. = I want to be president someday.
When indicating a time
You’ll also use a in
Spanish when you’re talking about specific times for events. It acts
like “at” in English, telling you at what time something is happening.
La fiesta empieza a las siete y media. = The party begins at seven thirty.
