What is the purpose of the "a" in the following? Please.

Question

"Yo quiero a mi bebé.

and

What does "SE" mean in the following:

"Las ninós se abrazen.

Thank you

Answer 1

Yo quiero a mi bebé"

The "a" is referred to the personal "a" in Spanish. It is used when the direct object of the verb is a person or pet. It is not translated. I love my baby. (It does not make baby the subject of the sentence).

Las niños se abrazen.

The pronominal se is used to show reciprocity. It's commonly called the reciprcocal se. It is not the reflexively se which would literally be we hugged ourselves where the doer and receiver of the verbs action is the same person.

To illustrate the difference:

Nos pusimos los zapatos. We put on our shoes. Reflexive, we each put on our own shoes.

Nos damos regalos (uno a otro). We exchanged gifts. Reciprocal, we gave our own gift to the other person.

Answer 2

En "Yo quiero a mi bebé", the "a" distinguishes the baby as the subject of the sentence.

En su otra frase, "Las niños se abrazen" la "se" es reflexivo. So in this case the se means 'eachother'.