As you learn new verbs, nouns, and adjectives in Spanish, don’t forget about the often overlooked prepositions that help connect all these great words together. A in Spanish is a helpful word for indicating movement towards a destination, introducing a direct object that is a person, and connecting certain verbs to infinitives. However, in specific cases, it has to be omitted to maintain grammatical accuracy.
While familiarizing yourself with the rules of a in Spanish is helpful, you’ll want to immerse yourself in the language to truly master its use. Rosetta Stone’s Dynamic Immersion method introduces new concepts through context, not memorization, helping you make connections naturally with important Spanish words like a.
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What is a in Spanish and when is it used?
A is a common Spanish preposition that primarily translates to “to” or “at,” and in certain types of sentences, doesn’t translate to English at all. It’s used in a variety of grammatical structures to connect verbs to nouns, verbs to direct objects, and verbs to verbs. Understanding how to use it will help you connect your ideas more smoothly and speak with a natural flow.
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.
Frequently asked questions about a in Spanish
Sometimes the littlest words can be the most tricky to learn, but mastering small yet important words like a in Spanish can help you speak more naturally.
What does the English word ‘a’ mean in Spanish?
While many words exist in both Spanish and English with identical spellings and meanings, such as chocolate or animal, you never want to assume they always share the same meaning. Those are known as false cognates in Spanish.
So, don’t mix up the Spanish word a with the English word “a.” The Spanish word for “a” in English is un or una. This article in Spanish refers to a single, unspecified person, place, or thing, such as un perro (a dog) or una chica (a girl). But a in Spanish is a preposition that can mean “to” or “at” or have no translation at all.
What is the difference between a and á?
The difference between a and á lies in the Spanish accent mark. A without an accent is a word in itself, whereas á indicates where the stress falls in a word. For example, in papá (father) or árbol (tree). A Rosetta Stone tutor can help you master the pronunciation difference between accented and non-accented vowels by providing real-time feedback and personalized guidance.
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