The Animated Book
of SpanishGrammar Reference

The Personal A

Adapted from The Animated Book of Spanish, an interactive Spanish grammar book.

When the direct object of a verb is a specific person, Spanish puts a in front of it. It has no English translation, and it doesn't mean to. It just marks that the action is done to a person.
  1. A thing: no a
    Veo la película.

    I see the movie.

    A person: a
    Veo a María.

    I see María.

  2. A thing: no a
    Busco mis llaves.

    I’m looking for my keys.

    A person: a
    Busco a mi hijo.

    I’m looking for my son.

  3. A thing: no a
    Conozco Madrid.

    I know Madrid.

    A person: a
    Conozco a tu hermano.

    I know your brother.

On this page

Specific people

Names, family members, and particular people you have in mind all take the personal a.

  • Llamo a mi madre todos los domingos.

    I call my mom every Sunday.

  • ¿Invitaste a Carlos?

    Did you invite Carlos?

  • Ayudamos a los vecinos con la mudanza.

    We helped the neighbors move.

Pets

People usually treat their pets like people, so pets take the personal a too.

  • Quiero mucho a mi perro.

    I love my dog.

  • Voy a sacar a la perra.

    I’m going to take the dog out.

Alguien, nadie, quién

Words that refer to people, like alguien (someone), nadie (nobody), and quién (who), take it as well.

  • ¿Ves a alguien?

    Do you see anyone?

  • No conozco a nadie aquí.

    I don’t know anyone here.

  • ¿A quién llamaste?

    Who did you call?

A specific person or anyone?

The personal a is for a specific person. When you mean any person who fits the description, it's usually left out.

  1. Anyone: no a
    Busco un médico.

    I’m looking for a doctor (any doctor).

    A specific person: a
    Busco a mi médico.

    I’m looking for my doctor.

  2. Anyone: no a
    Necesitamos una niñera.

    We need a babysitter.

    A specific person: a
    Necesitamos a la niñera de siempre.

    We need our usual babysitter.

Not after tener

Tener doesn't take the personal a, even with people. Neither does hay.

  • Tengo dos hermanos.

    I have two brothers.

  • Tenemos muchos amigos en Lima.

    We have a lot of friends in Lima.

  • Hay mucha gente en la plaza.

    There are a lot of people in the square.

A + el = al

Like any a, the personal a contracts with el.

  • No veo al profesor.

    I don’t see the teacher.

  • ¿Conoces al nuevo jefe?

    Do you know the new boss?

With pronouns

When you replace the person with a pronoun, the a goes away with them. More in direct object pronouns.

  1. With the person
    Veo a María.

    I see María.

    With a pronoun
    La veo.

    I see her.

  2. With the person
    Llamo a mis padres.

    I call my parents.

    With a pronoun
    Los llamo.

    I call them.

Common mistakes English speakers make

  1. Leaving it out with a person

    Incorrect:Veo María en el parque.
    Correct:Veo a María en el parque.

    A specific person as the direct object needs the personal a.

  2. Using it with a thing

    Incorrect:Veo a la película.
    Correct:Veo la película.

    The personal a is only for people and pets.

  3. Using it after tener

    Incorrect:Tengo a dos hermanos.
    Correct:Tengo dos hermanos.

    Tener doesn't take the personal a.

  4. Leaving it out with nadie

    Incorrect:No conozco nadie.
    Correct:No conozco a nadie.

    Nadie and alguien refer to people, so they take it.

  5. Saying a el

    Incorrect:Veo a el profesor.
    Correct:Veo al profesor.

    A + el always becomes al.

Questions about the personal a

What is the personal a in Spanish?

An a that goes before a direct object when it's a specific person: Veo a María ("I see María"). It has no English translation. With things, there's no a: Veo la película.

Do you use the personal a with pets?

Yes, usually, since people treat their pets like family: Quiero mucho a mi perro ("I love my dog").

Do you use the personal a after tener?

No. Tener doesn't take it, even with people: Tengo dos hermanos ("I have two brothers").

Do you use the personal a with alguien and nadie?

Yes. They refer to people, so they take it: ¿Ves a alguien?, No conozco a nadie. The same goes for quién: ¿A quién llamaste?

What happens to the personal a with a pronoun?

It disappears along with the name: Veo a María → La veo. You only add a ella for emphasis: La veo a ella, no a él.

Next upIndirect object pronounsMe, te, le, nos, les: who something is given to or done for, le … a María, and le vs. lo.

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