What is the difference between "para," "a," and "para que"? And how to think like Spanish when it comes to grammar?
Is it possible to say either of the following:
voy a ir a un restaurante para comer está noche. voy a ir a un restaurante para que comer está noche. voy a ir a un restaurante a comer está noche.
Is there any difference between "para and a" because both of them seem to mean to?
I have another question, how does one stop thinking in English grammar? I'm bilingual but i learned both language when I was child. Now, it is kinda complicated because I always think of the equivalent in English which is definitely wrong especially when it comes to grammar. Is there anyway to get over that? Is it a matter of just listening without trying to compare to English grammar? For instance, when I hear "para" or "a," I always think in English preposition "to" and that is definitely not going to help me improve if I always compare things to English.
Additional example, when you say i'm going to invite Maria, you say, voy a invitar "a" Maria. If I start to compare to English "a Maria - to Maria," doesn't make sense at all. How could someone stop comparing to the language he knows and start thinking in the language he is learning?
Thanks!
6 Answers
spuny:
voy a ir a un restaurante para comer está noche. Good!
voy a ir a un restaurante para que comer está noche. Bad!
voy a ir a un restaurante a comer está noche. Good!
(adding to what the rest have said already.)
I sent you a private mail.
How could someone stop comparing to the language he knows and start thinking in the language he is learning?
The first thing you need to do is stop translating. In the beginning the process is to think of what you want to say in your native language and then translate that to Spanish. That's fine, in the beginning, but now you have to stop that.
START:
Forming your thoughts (written or spoken) in Spanish only.
Using a Spanish dictionary.
Ask questions in Spanish and try to get your answers in Spanish.
Use learning materials written/spoken in Spanish to learn Spanish.
Basically you need to do as many things as you can in Spanish and remove as much as possible of your native language out of the learning process. Your goals should be to start learning Spanish from Spanish materials and listening to and speaking as much Spanish as possible.
Tell yourself that Spanish IS your native language, and start using it all the time.
"Para" indicates the direction where the subject is moving towards (voy para adelante) "A" indicates both the location where you're going to, and what you're going to do there
So in this case the correct one would be "voy a un restaurante a comer esta noche"
When speaking spanish (or any other language) you cannot think in a different language, because most of the rules won't apply, and you need to have your mind set in that particular language, try to always mind the basic structures of the language you're speaking in and don't try to equate them to your native language, that's a different process called translation
Addressing your more general questioin (Chileno did awesome on the specifics) about how to stop trying to compare the two, I'd say you've already made the most important step, which is to know that comparing the two isn't always of much value. Good job there already.
They are each their own thing and system. When they happen to be just the same, rejoice, and revel in the sameness and the 'free' vocabulary or structure. When they're different, then enjoy that, and just accept it. I don't think the hard part is figuring out how to do that. The hard part is figuring out that you Should do that (i.e., not making direct comparisons and translations). You seem to have that already. Just accept fully, and emulate, and you'll do awesomely.
Buena suerte.
Let's start with the last one. Voy a invitar "a" Maria. This is the "personal a" and it does not translate or have any meaning other than to say that a reference to a person or pet follows.
As to your restaurant sentences I think "para" and "a" work well but "para que" not so well. The "para que" sentence reads. "I am going to go to a restaurant so that to eat tonight".
i dont know :D
