Is this sentence well-written and what does it translate to?

Question

The sentence is: "Necesitamos a alguien que cambie la ventana."

Context: A husband and wife standing in their front yard discussing a broken window.

Answer 1

"Necesitamos a alguien que cambie la ventana."

Because you say here you directly need someone, the personal a is necessary, so you are correct. In this sentence the emphatic need is for a person.

You could also say this without the personal a by using a different word order: Necesitamos que alguien cambie la ventana. In this sentence the emphatic need is for the action of a person.

Answer 2

I think the "a" is needed...

EDIT: From the DPD

a) Ante nombres comunes de persona precedidos de un determinante indefinido, cuando son complemento directo de verbos que significan búsqueda, preferencia o necesidad, como buscar, necesitar, preferir, querer (‘desear, apetecer’), etc.: Busco un camarero o Busco a un camarero. En estos casos, la ausencia de la preposición implica que el complemento es inconcreto o inespecífico (es decir, alude a un individuo cualquiera dentro de la clase de personas designada por el nombre), mientras que el uso de la preposición implica que el complemento se refiere a una persona determinada de entre las de su clase, individualizada en la mente del hablante: Busco un camarero significa ‘busco a cualquier persona que pueda trabajar como camarero’ (y en este caso la oración de relativo, si la hubiere, llevaría el verbo en subjuntivo: Busco un camarero que sepa hablar inglés); por el contrario, Busco a un camarero significa ‘busco a un camarero concreto, que ya conozco’ (y en este caso la oración de relativo, si la hubiere, llevaría el verbo en indicativo: Busco a un camarero que sabe hablar inglés).

I guess both would be correct. But I insist, in this case should use the "a" because a person, who knows about changing the glass is needed, not just any person.

Don't ask me, I am just a user, and I don't know grammar, and I do not want to know grammar, however, I do speak and write in, both, English and Spanish.

That's the way it is.

Because the "alguien" refers to a person and therefore asks for a personal "a"? - Aranjuez12, Apr 29, 2013

I don't know grammar, I do think the "a" is needed though. :) - chileno, Apr 29, 2013

That's really interesting reading that excerpt from the DPD. Sounds like with the "a" implies the speaker has a specific person in mind, requiring the indicative, but without it, requiring the subjunctive (because any person is able to do the job). - yo_la_tengo, Apr 29, 2013

That would be *any* person. Instead I need someone who knows how to do the job. And you can use both the subjunctive or the indicative for that one. - chileno, Apr 29, 2013

Correct. But like I said, when one speaks like that, you just don't need someone who doesn't know how to do the job, right? - chileno, Apr 29, 2013

It sounds better with the ' a'.. - annierats, Apr 29, 2013

Answer 3

It's nearly right.

The sentence says 'we need someone to change the window'.

The subjunctive 'cambie' is used which is good because you don't have a specific person in mind. But in that case you don't need the 'a' before 'alguien' which is used to refer to specific people.

i would suggest - 'necesitamos alguien que cambie la ventana'.

Answer 4

That's really interesting reading that excerpt from the DPD. Sounds like with the "a" implies the speaker has a specific person in mind, requiring the indicative, but without it, requiring the subjunctive (because any person is able to do the job). - yo_la_tengo hace 10 horas flag

I agree with yo la tengo, if you have one specific person in mind then you would use the 'a' and the indicative but if you are just speaking generally and don't have the one particular person in mind you wouldn't use the a or the indicative,

Here's a couple of comments from Lazarus the grammar guru on th subject.

Originally Posted by tatis
Do you know somebody who uses drugs? ¿Conoces a alguien que use/usa drogas? If you are referring to someone that has been identified, you use indicative; othewise subjunctive. If you use indicative here, you surely have already a person (or several) in mind, even though you are asking. It would be as if you wanted to refer to certain drug-users without mentioning their names, dropping hints, and hoping that the other person understands who you're talking about. If you don't have any person specific in mind (you have not identified whoever may take drugs), you use subjunctive. I suppose subjunctive makes more sense here.

If you use subjunctive, you should avoid the "a", which is also used to refer to specific people: ¿Conoces alguien que use drogas? Originally Posted by tatis Do you know anyone who drinks beer or wine? ¿Conoces a alguien que toma/tome cerveza o vino?. Same rule.

another ...

Lo siento, necesita a alguien que sabe más que yo

That sentence is correct... but only if you already have one person in mind, (e.g. Necesita a alguien que sabe más que yo = Necesita a James), i,e, you are declaring that there is one (particular) person who knows more than you.. In subjunctive, you don't declare that there is one person that knows more than you, so it could be anyone... or no one.

And this one.

Usas el indicativo si has identificado ya a la persona que estás buscando, y el subjuntivo si no has identificado a la persona. Con indicativo es normal usar además la preposición "a":

Busco alguien que quiera trabajar conmigo. No sé si alguien querrá o no. Busco a alguien que quiere trabajar conmigo. No sé su nombre, pero me dijo ayer que estaba interesado.

En cuanto al "quien", a menos que aparezca entre comas en una explicativa, nunca puede funcionar como sujeto de una subordinada relativa:

Busco a alguien quien que quiera trabajar conmigo. Busco a alguien, quien/que quiera trabajar conmigo, para discutir el contrato. Stupidity cannot be cured with money, or through education, or by legislation. Stupidity is not a sin, the victim can't help being stupid

.

"Necesitamos a alguien que cambie la ventana." Here we can also argue that while we don´t know the specific person, we DO know that he is the specific person who will replace the window - 005faa61, Apr 29, 2013

Answer 5

You are correct