Why do oler and saber take the preposition "a"?

Question

As an English speaker learning Spanish, I was always a little confused that it smells and tastes "to" something rather than "of" something:* *Huele a humo.** *Sabe a ajo.*I would think of "a" as implying that the smell or taste goes from you to the object where "de" would better describe it going from the object to you. How do Spanish speakers think about this preposition? Is it simply "the way things are" or is there an intuitive way of understanding it? Can any other prepositions be used with these verbs, or must it be "a" exclusively?

Answer 1

In Spanish, as in many languages, certain prepositions are paired with verbs. As you noticed, "saber a" and "oler a" to mean "tastes like" and "smells like." In most cases, besides some using the verb "hablar," there is only one preposition that goes with a verb to mean something. Soñar con means to dream about and can only be used with that preposition. On the other hand, to try can be expressed with two common verbs but they cannot be altered: intentar and tratar de. The latter can also mean "about" but if you change the preposition, it will not be the same.

When you get to verbs with more complex meanings, there is a bit more freedom, the same as in English. If you say "the government is sustained by oil," or "the government is sustained with oil," it can be a choice of style rather than merely grammar. "El gobierno es sostenido por el petróleo." "El gobierno se sostiene con el petróleo."

Answer 2

a is used as a preposition for everything. "A" implies "to." Quiero ir a bailar - I want to dance. Yo quiero ir a comer en un restaurante - I want to go eat at a restaurant.