verb andar

Question

Hola!

I learning the verb andar and am given these two sentences below: - Anda en un caballo. - Anda a caballo.

Do they both mean S/he rides a horse?

Gracias.

Answer 1

Hi bluesky256,

Prepositions can be tricky in Spanish, but think of these in relationship to 'riding by horse' and 'riding on a horse.' The difference is small, and may seem infinitesimal to any but the most staunch grammarians, but language is full of such of 'linguistic shades.'

To answer your question, yes, these both essentially mean He/She/You (formal) ride(s) a horse, but more specifically Anda a caballo means He/She/You (formal) ride(s) by horse, whereas Anda en un caballo means He/She/You (formal) ride(s) [on] a horse,

Does this help clarify your thoughts? Also, since prepositions can be so tricky if there is anyone out there who feels differently, I invite you to correct my thinking - thanks!

¡Gracias!

Joshua

Answer 2

Gracias a todos por su ayuda.

Answer 3

I think that -the fisrt one means "Go on a horse". -and the secound sentence means "Go horseback".

Answer 4

Andar is a very flexible verb. It can also mean to go.

He goes by horse or he goes on a horse.