The extra a
When the direct object is a person (or pet treated as person), Spanish adds a before it. It is not translated — it marks “human direct object”.
Veo a María. · Busco a mis amigos.
Personal a
When to add a before a person object (Spain Spanish)
In this guide5 sections
When to use it
| Use personal a | No personal a |
|---|---|
| Specific person as object | Thing as object |
| Veo a Juan. | Veo la casa. |
| Llamo a mi madre. | Llamo al médico (al = a+el) |
| Conozco a Pedro. | Conozco Madrid. |
| Invito a Ana. | Invito a la fiesta (a = to) |
More examples
- ¿Has visto a Laura?Have you seen Laura?
- Extraño a mi familia.I miss my family.
- Os espero a todos.I am waiting for you all.
- A María la vi ayer.María — I saw her yesterday. (disambiguation)
- Quiero mucho a mis abuelos.I love my grandparents very much.
- ¿Conoces a alguien aquí?Do you know anyone here?
With object pronouns
With pronouns, a disappears but the person sense remains: La veo (I see her) · Los invito (I invite them). a returns for clarity: A ella la veo .
- La llamo todos los días.I call her every day.
- ¿Los conocéis?Do you all know them?
- A ti te quiero.You — I love you. (emphasis)
- No le vi — no, no le vi a él.I did not see him (clarified).
- Nos buscan.They are looking for us.
- Os invito a cenar.I invite you all to dinner. (a = to)
Practice 1 — 10 questions
I see María →
I see the house →
I am looking for my friends →
I know Pedro →
Have you seen Laura? →
I call my mother →
I go to the beach →
I invite Ana →
Do you know anyone here? →
I miss my family →