Please recommend a lesson on this site teaching the "personal a".

Question

I am having trouble understanding the concept of the "personal a" in contrast to the "prepositional a"

This paragraph is from my lesson book; In Spanish, when the noun receiving the action of the verb denotes a person or persons, the noun is preceded by a. This word is called "the personal a" and is not translated into English.

Answer 1

"Personal a" - to introduce a person as a direct object (not translated directly)

¿Conoces a Isabela? (Do you know Isabela?)

Veo a mi madre. (I see my mother.)

source

Also, check out this and that.

Answer 2

I think this thread is very interesting.

this is from this reference article:

Transitive constructions

1) Verbs that can take a direct object are called transitive. When this direct object is a specific person (or something personalised), it takes the preposition 'a'. Objects can be replaced by the direct object pronouns 'lo, la, los, las? (many native speakers use 'le? and 'les? instead sometimes, but this is not always standard):

Answer 3

I don't have a lesson for you...well I do, but I'm not giving away my secrets! A good way to think of it is that a verb has to go somewhere. That is what the personal "a" is. Example: El hablo el. Well...that makes no sense...not even a rank beginner would say such a thing. The "hablo" has to go somewhere...that is where your personal "a" comes in. El hablo a el. The personal "a" gives direction to a verb that would otherwise be floating around the moon somewhere. I know I don't give those fancy explainations that others give, but that's the best way I can explain it to you.

is your hablo in the example the first person present tense of hablar? - theMax, OCT 8, 2009

Answer 4

Lesson 3.15