The personal 'a' in Spanish

• In Spanish the personal a is needed before the word for any human being or pet after every single verb.

• The personal a is not used before an object.

• Add the personal a before the words alguien, nadie and ¿quién?

In Spanish you need to add an extra a before the word for any human being or pet after every single verb.

For example:

Estoy buscando a Luis. - I’m looking for Luis.

Veo a mis amigos. - I see my friends.

The personal a is not used for objects.

For example:

Estoy buscando mi móvil. - I’m looking for my mobile phone.

When the personal a is used in front of a masculine singular noun, a and el are contracted to form al.

For example:

Mi madre llama al doctor. - My mum calls the doctor.

Está buscando al perro. - He’s looking for the dog.

Alguien (someone) and nadie (no one) require the personal a because they refer to people, although no one in specific.

For example:

Yo no veo a nadie. - I don’t see anyone.

Tengo que contárselo a alguien. - I have to tell someone.

The question word ¿quién? references people so the personal a must come before it.

For example:

¿A quién vas a ver? - Who are you going to see?

¿A quién estás buscando? - Who are you looking for?

Practise what you've learned about the personal a in Spanish with this quiz.

Now you have learned about the personal a in Spanish why not explore the verb 'to be'?