A2 · Updated
The personal a in Spanish
When the object of a verb is a person, Spanish puts an a in front of it: veo a Marta. There is no English equivalent, it does not translate as to, and leaving it out is one of the most audible mistakes a learner makes.
The short answer
Put a before a direct object that is a specific person or a pet: conozco a tu padre, quiero a mi perro. Not before things, veo la casa. Not after tener and hay: tengo dos hermanos. A + el becomes al: veo al médico.
How to remember it
A person receiving the action gets an a
| A specific person | a before the direct object | Llamo a mi madre |
|---|---|---|
| A pet | also takes a | Paseo a mi perro |
| A thing | no a | Veo el mar |
| Tener, hay | no a | Tengo tres hijos |
| Quién, alguien, nadie | take a | ¿A quién buscas? |
The forms
With a and without it
| object | example | a? |
|---|---|---|
| a named person | veo a Luis | yes |
| a specific person | busco a mi hermana | yes |
| a pet | baño a mi gato | yes |
| alguien, nadie | no conozco a nadie | yes |
| a thing | busco mis llaves | no |
| an unknown person | busco un médico | usually no |
| after tener | tengo una hija | no |
| after hay | hay un hombre fuera | no |
16 sentences that show the difference
Everyday Spanish, the kind you would actually say. The label under each one says which part of the rule it shows.
Veo a Marta todos los días.
I see Marta every day.
A named person
Veo la tele.
I watch TV.
A thing, no a
Llamo a mi madre.
I am calling my mother.
A specific person
Espero al profesor.
I am waiting for the teacher.
A + el = al
Espero el autobús.
I am waiting for the bus.
A thing
Quiero mucho a mi abuela.
I love my grandmother very much.
Querer a, love
Quiero un café.
I want a coffee.
Querer, want
¿A quién buscas?
Who are you looking for?
A quién
No conozco a nadie.
I do not know anyone.
A nadie
¿Ves a alguien?
Can you see anyone?
A alguien
Tengo dos hijos.
I have two children.
Tener, no a
Hay un niño en la puerta.
There is a boy at the door.
Hay, no a
Busco un fontanero.
I am looking for a plumber.
Any plumber, no a
Busco a un fontanero que se llama Paco.
I am looking for a plumber called Paco.
A specific one
Saco al perro a las ocho.
I take the dog out at eight.
A pet
Ayudo a mis vecinos.
I help my neighbours.
Ayudar a
Where English gets in the way
English marks the object only by its position after the verb: I see Marta. Spanish word order is freer, so it flags people with a: veo a Marta, and a Marta la veo still makes clear who sees whom. There is nothing to translate, the a is just a label.
The mistake to avoid
Veo Marta and busco mi hermano. They sound clipped to a Spanish ear. The opposite also happens: tengo a dos hermanos, with an a that tener does not want.
The cases that break the rule
Tengo un hermano
Tener drops the personal a: tengo dos primos. It only comes back when tener means to hold or keep someone somewhere: tengo a mi madre en el hospital.
Busco un médico
If the person is not specific, any doctor at all, the a usually goes. Busco a un médico means one in particular.
Quiero a Ana
With a person, querer means to love: quiero a Ana. Without the a, it is wanting: quiero un taxi. The a changes the meaning.
Mi perro
Pets and animals you feel close to take a: quiero a mi gato. Animals in general do not: veo un caballo.
Al médico
A + el contracts to al, as always: llamo al médico. Not with names that include El: a El Greco.
Le doy el libro a Ana
This a is different: it marks the indirect object, to whom. It exists with things and people alike. The personal a is only for direct objects.
Personal a exercises
8 sentences to fill in. Type your answer and check it, or read them straight through with the answers showing. Accents count here, the way they count in the language.
-
Esta tarde visito ___ mis abuelos.
This afternoon I am visiting my grandparents.
a · Specific people, so personal a.
-
Esperamos ___ profesor.
We are waiting for the teacher.
al · A + el becomes al.
-
¿___ quién llamas?
Who are you calling?
A · Quién as an object takes a.
-
No veo ___ nadie.
I cannot see anyone.
a · Nadie as an object takes a.
-
Quiero mucho ___ mi hermana.
I love my sister very much.
a · Querer a person, to love.
-
Conozco ___ tu novio.
I know your boyfriend.
a · Conocer a person.
-
Ayudo ___ mi padre en la tienda.
I help my father in the shop.
a · A specific person.
-
Llevo ___ perro al veterinario.
I am taking the dog to the vet.
al · Pets take the personal a, and a + el is al.
More exercises, from Don Quixote
8 more, these ones straight out of the course: the inn, the windmills, Rocinante and the road. Same rule, older Spanish.
-
Don Quijote busca ___ Dulcinea.
Don Quixote is looking for Dulcinea.
a · A named person.
-
Don Quijote llama ___ Sancho.
Don Quixote calls Sancho.
a · A named person.
-
El ventero mira ___ caballero.
The innkeeper looks at the knight.
al · A specific person, and a + el is al.
-
Sancho quiere mucho ___ su burro.
Sancho loves his donkey very much.
a · An animal he feels close to.
-
Don Quijote ataca ___ los mercaderes.
Don Quixote attacks the merchants.
a · Specific people.
-
¿___ quién defiende don Quijote?
Who does Don Quixote defend?
A · Quién as an object.
-
Don Quijote no conoce ___ nadie en la venta.
Don Quixote does not know anyone at the inn.
a · Nadie as an object.
-
Don Quijote ve ___ ejército de ovejas.
Don Quixote sees an army of sheep.
un · Not people, so no personal a: ve un ejército.
Common questions
What is the personal a?
An a placed before a direct object that is a person: veo a Juan. It has no meaning of its own and is not translated.
Does tener take the personal a?
Normally no: tengo un hermano. It appears only when tener means to have someone somewhere: tengo a mi hijo enfermo.
Do animals take the personal a?
Pets and animals you feel close to, yes: baño a mi perro. Animals in general, no: veo un perro.
What is the difference between quiero a and quiero?
Quiero a Ana means I love Ana. Quiero un café means I want a coffee. The a tells you it is a person.
Does hay take the personal a?
No. Hay una mujer en la puerta, never hay a una mujer.
Do I need the a with alguien and nadie?
Yes, when they are objects: ¿conoces a alguien?, no veo a nadie.
Is it busco un profesor or busco a un profesor?
Busco un profesor is any teacher. Busco a un profesor is a specific one you have in mind.
Is the personal a the same as the a in le doy el libro a Ana?
No. That a marks the indirect object, the person who receives something. The personal a marks the direct object, the person the action falls on.
The things to remember
- A specific person as the direct object takes a: veo a Luis.
- Things do not: veo el coche.
- Tener and hay do not take it.
- Quién, alguien and nadie as objects take it.
- Querer a is to love, querer without a is to want.
The book this comes from
Don Quixote in Easy Spanish: the whole novel retold in Spanish you can actually read, in 58 short episodes, with the hard words glossed in the margin. It is where every Don Quixote sentence on this page comes from.
In EPUB and PDF with its audiobook, and a second novel in the same Spanish. See the books.
Where the course teaches this
2 lessons build it up, each one inside a chapter of the story rather than in the abstract. Free to read, with the vocabulary, the audio and the exercises.
- Impersonal se and the reflexive passiveLesson 31What you pay for at an inn
- Por and paraLesson 36Mambrino’s helmet
Next to this one
The points that sit closest to this one, and that a student usually meets around the same time.