Why do I not use "al" in the following example?

Question

In the following examples:

1. Ella mira el Pajaro

2. Ella mira a la Luna

Why do we not say Ella mira "al" Pajaro

Would not "al" translate to "at the" as opposed to just using "el"?

Answer 1

What is el Pajaro? Is it a movie? The name of a building?

Like Kevin said, mirar can mean to look at, to watch, or to stare at. If she (ella) is looking at el Pajaro, you will see now that the preposition "a" is not necessary when you use mirar.

Now, if el Pajaro is a person (the name of a superhero, perhaps ), then the personal "a" will be necessary, & only then will it be "al" instead of just "el."

Hope this made sense.

Answer 2

Ella mira el pájaro (the object is a thing, not a person)---> OK. It would be Ella mira AL Pájaro (if Pájaro was a person's nickname).

Ella mira a la luna ---> If referring to the object (the moon) it should be Ella mira la luna. If you're taking a poetic license and are referring to the moon as a woman (as poets often do) then you can say Ella mira a la luna.

The rule is mirar + a (if complement is a person); otherwise leave out the preposition a.

Answer 3

It's hard to say without more context. Mirar can mean look, look at, face, watch, observe, check out, take care of, appear,...

You get my point. Some of the meaning require the a and some don't.