Is there a difference between "inculcar en" and "inculcar a"?

Question

Is there a difference between "inculcar en" and "inculcar a," and if so, what is the difference?

Also, in the sentence, "Tenemos que inculcar a nuestros jóvenes ciudadanos el respeto al espíritu empresarial leal," would it change the meaning if "a nuestros jovenes" was placed at the end of the sentence instead?

welcome to the forum, :) - 006595c6, Sep 17, 2017

Answer 1

Hi boy, welcome to the forum

Very nice question, I actually found an answer for you on the "Diccionario panhispánico de dudas", as this is a doubt even native speakers have.

inculcar. ‘Infundir con ahínco [una idea, un sentimiento, etc.] en una persona’. El complemento de persona puede ser indirecto o ir encabezado por la preposición en: «Le inculcó al hijo toda esa basura» (Puig Beso [Arg. 1976]); «Ha sabido inculcar en sus hijos el amor al oficio» (Seseña Cacharrería [Esp. 1997]).

As you can see, there is no difference in meaning whether you use the preposition or not.

Thank you for the response! - boejohn, Sep 17, 2017

Answer 2

Tenemos que inculcar el respeto al espíritu empresarial a (or de) nuestros jóvenes ciudadanos is also possible. I prefer the one you wrote.

Inculcar a alguien Yo inculco a mis hijos.
Ella inculcará a sus alumnos. etc.

Inculcar algo ( no preposition)
Sofía inculcó su modo de pensar.
Deberías inculcar tus ideas.

As for " inculcar en" I don't think it has to do with inculcar but with what comes next. This is something I feel but I don't know exactly what you mean with "inculcar en"
Ella los inculcó en el correr de los años.
Yo nunca inculco en la escuela donde trabajo mis valores personales.

Answer 3

I agree with Heidita, although the preposition en seems more common than a when the indirect object is people rather than things.

Also, in the sentence, "Tenemos que inculcar a nuestros jóvenes ciudadanos el respeto al espíritu empresarial leal," would it change the meaning if "a nuestros jovenes" was placed at the end of the sentence instead?

I agree with Heidita´s answer about this as well, however, in this sentence there is more emphasis on "nuestros jovenes" because it directly follows the verb. If this phrase is at the end of the sentence, "el respeto al espíritu empresarial leal" will have more emphasis for the same reason of directly following the verb.

Answer 4

Is it necessary for one to include an indirect object pronoun? I was going through the example sentences for "inculcar" on the website, and they did not seem to include an indirect object pronoun. - boejohn

Hi boe, what do you mean?

Is this what you were looking for?

, "Tenemos que inculcarles a nuestros jóvenes ciudadanos el respeto al espíritu empresarial leal,

The answer is: it is optional, we call it a redundant pronoun.

Answer 5

As Heidita found out you can say

Le inculcó al hijo esa basura.
or
Inculcó EN su hijo esa basura.
but not
Le inculcó EN su hijo esa basura.

Do you agree Heidita?

Is it necessary for one to include an indirect object pronoun? I was going through the example sentences for "inculcar" on the website, and they did not seem to include an indirect object pronoun. - boejohn, Sep 17, 2017

I do not know grammar very well. - Polenta, Sep 18, 2017

Answer 6

Also, in the sentence, "Tenemos que inculcar a nuestros jóvenes ciudadanos el respeto al espíritu empresarial leal," would it change the meaning if "a nuestros jovenes" was placed at the end of the sentence instead?

No, there is no difference, the meaning would not change.