Why the "al" in for example: Quiero jugar al tenis.

Question

Por favor. I don't understand why the "al" is used in this kind of sentence. "I want to play tennis/Quiero jugar al tenis. Why the al after play?

I am a beginner student and have just learned that the "al" is a contraction of a and el as in: "Yo voy al teatro". So apparently it must be used differently in other places, right?

Gracias!

Bienvendia al foro. Welcome to the forum. - 0074b507, May 4, 2011

Thank you. I hope I am doing this correctly. I liked both answers and hated only accepting one of them. - TheNans, May 4, 2011

Answer 1

It's because jugar, when used in a general sense (like play tennis, play videogames, etc), needs to have the article before the noun, so when it's a el it condenses to al. This is to assist pronunciation.

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Jugar a los videojuegos (nothing to condense)

Jugar al fútbol (originally would be a el)

Jugar al tenis (originally would be a el)

I am too new to the grammar rules. I wonder why not: "Quiero comer al queso" rather than just comer queso. - TheNans, May 4, 2011

It's "Quiero comer (el) queso." Not "al." Quiero usually only takes the "a" before people. - someone09, May 4, 2011

So if it isn't a personal "a" and it doesn't translate "to" then does it translate at all? - TheNans, May 4, 2011

You'll find a lot of things in Spanish can't translate literally. But with queso, there's no personal a - it's cheese. Just comer queso, or comer el queso. - someone09, May 4, 2011

Answer 2

I am too new to the grammar rules. I wonder why not: "Quiero comer al queso" rather than just comer queso. - TheNans

For the same reason you say "I eat cheese" but you don't say "I waited them". The verb "to wait" has to be followed by a preposition like "for" -you don't wait things or people, but for things and for people.

"Comer" in Spanish is like "to eat" in English: you eat things, comes cosas. "Jugar" is like "to wait": it requires in a preposition for no apparent logical reason. In both languages you simply have to memorize these prepositions -there is no other way.

P.D. In some parts of Latin America, "jugar" is also used without preposition. This is a regional variation in the usage of the verb.

True but we also have the veb "to await" which does not need the "for" - I awaited them. - ian-hill, Jan 26, 2012

Answer 3

To play a sport is translated as "jugar a", and since "tenis" carries the masculine article "el", the "a" and "el" contract to "al".

Quiero jugar al tenis.

It's the same with:

... jugar al voleibol,

... jugar al baloncesto, etc.

Is this the only other place this kind of a is used, after jugar? And does the a mean "to" in this case? - TheNans, May 4, 2011

Excellent, clear answer :) - FELIZ77, May 4, 2011

@TheNan; I think there are other cases where "a" would follow "jugar", but I'm not entirely sure. No, the "a" would not be translated in this case; you wouldn't say "I want to play to tennis". (: - Azabache, May 4, 2011

It's used in a lot of other verbs as well. There's also an "a" if the object of the verb is a known person - someone09, May 4, 2011

yes, I just am learning to use the personal a. - TheNans, May 4, 2011

Could the 'a' stand for 'I play ***at*** tennis' ?? - Nattie360, May 4, 2011