I need someone / Necesito (a) alguien...

Question

Here's another query relating to the Pimsleur course that I'm taking.

I had thought that if I would wish to use a verb followed by a noun that represents a person or animal, I should precede the noun with 'a', e.g. 'conozco a esta mujer'.

However, in the case of 'necesitar', Pimsleur doesn't use 'a', e.g. 'necesito un médico'.

Why is 'a' not used with 'necesitar' whereas it is with other verbs ?

Any help would be appreciated...

Answer 1

It could be any verb and still be impersonal (without A), ie: Hoy en la tarde voy a ver un médico. We treat a doctor as anyone non-specific who provides a service, rather than someone of a personal relationship. However, if you have a specific doctor then you can use the personal A, ie: Voy a ver al Doctor Mateos.

Of course, if you have a personal relationship with a doctor you can use the personal A, but in that case it would make more sense to say something like: Voy a ver a mi novia, quien es médico.

Put far more professionally and intelligently than my answer. - Mardle, Mar 9, 2015

Answer 2

It isn't because you are using necesitar it is because you are looking, needing an indefinite person. Bowdoin sets this out - but a native speaker may be able to be more specific. If you haven't previously used Bowdoin it is good for grammar points.

Bowdoin

Thanks. Presumably, therefore, 'buscar' works in much the same way... - Faldaesque, Mar 9, 2015

Answer 3

It's because in the case of needing 'a' doctor it's not specific as in 'a' specific doctor, a known person so the personal 'a' is not used.

Once you have a specific person in mind (even if u don't name them) you will need the personal 'a' - necesito al doctor (I need 'the' doctor).

Re your title (a) alguien - you would need the 'a' because pronouns which stand for a person take personal a; these include alguien, alguno, uno, ambos, cualquiera, nadie, otro, ninguno, quien, todo, el, ella, usted and other personal pronouns

Great I understand now. How are you queen dag? - ray76, Mar 10, 2015

Answer 4

What I found with Pimsleur is that, although they don't teach grammar per se, as it goes along, you will kind of begin to see what the "rule" for certain things may be, certainly not in any detail, but somewhat. One example, they use "a" after conocer when speaking about a person, but no "a" when speaking about a thing, like a hotel.