When and how do you use “the personal a”?

Answer 1

We use the "a personal" when the object (whatever is receiving the action of the verb) is a person. Watch my two minute video for a quick explanation!

Answer 2

To expand a bit more, here are a couple examples in Spanish and English. When you translate a Spanish sentence with a "personal a" into English, the "a" usually disappears. See these examples:

1. Voy a llamar a mi amiga hoy. I'm going to call my friend today. (In Spanish, you put an "a" before "amiga" because this object of the verb is a person, but the word "a" doesn't translate into anything in English.)
2. Voy a ver a Max, mi perro. I'm going to see Max, my dog. (The "a" comes before Max because he is the object of the verb and a pet. The "a" doesn't translate into English.)

When the object of the verb is a thing, there is no "personal a". Example:

1. Voy a lavar mi ropa hoy. I'm going to wash my clothes today. (There is no "a" before "ropa" because clothing--the object of the verb--is a thing, not a person or pet.)

Answer 3

Thinking back on grammar, the direct object is the person or thing that receives the action of a verb. In English, the direct object is usually preceded by an “a”. In the Spanish language, that is referred to as the “personal a”.  It is also common in Spanish to use the personal a when the direct object is a pet. The following are a few examples of when and how to use the personal a.

Llamo a mis padres una vez cada semana.

Voy a visitar a mi amiga en el hospital.

¿A quién llamaron ustedes ayer?

Estoy buscando a mi gato, Coco.