The Personal "a": Theory and Practice ExerciseVisit Learn Spanish.com: http://www.studyspanish.com/lessons/persa.htm
The direct object is the noun or pronoun that receives the action of the
verb. In the following sentences, the direct
objects are underlined.
Mike hit the ball.
George calls Mary.
He calls her.
In Spanish, when the direct object is a person, it is preceded by the preposition
a. This word has no English
translation.
Correct
Jorge llama a María.
Jorge calls María.
Incorrect
Jorge llama María.
From the perspective of the English speaker, the personal "a" appears to
be an extra word. From the perspective
of the Spanish speaker, the personal "a" is required, and not to use it
is a serious error.
Correct
Jorge llama a María.
Incorrect
Jorge llama María.
The personal "a" may also be used if the direct object is a domesticated
animal, especially a pet, provided that
the speaker attaches some sort of personal feelings towards the animal.
La mujer acaricia a su perro. (acariciar)
The woman pets her dog.
El perro persigue a la gata. (perseguir)
The dog chases the cat.
The personal "a" is not used when the direct object is not a person or
is an animal for which no personal feelings
are felt.
Correct
Bebo la leche. (beber)
(I drink the milk.)
-- milk is neither a person nor an animal
Correct
Miro la girafa. (mirar)
(I look at the giraffe.)
-- no personal feelings are felt towards the giraffe
The personal "a" is not used after the verb tener, or the verb form hay.
This is true even if the direct object is a
person.
Correct
Tengo dos hermanos. (tener)
(I have two brothers.)
Incorrect
Tengo a dos hermanos.
Correct
Hay cinco chicas.
(There are five girls.)
Incorrect
Hay a cinco chicas.
If the direct object is an indefinite person, the personal "a" is not used.
The result is that the person becomes
"depersonalized."
Necesito médico.
I need (any) doctor. (or)
I need medical assistance.
Necesito jardinero.
I need (any) gardener. (or)
I need someone to tend my garden.
Because this Spanish grammatical structure has no equivalent in English,
it is normal to expect that the student
will forget to use it until a pattern of use has been established. Remember,
to not use the personal "a" is a serious
error, and the student should try to remember to use it when appropriate.
Fill in each blank and click on the "c" button to check your answer. If it is right stars will appear around the word, otherwise incorrect letters will be blanked out.