Direct Objects Without a

Level 3

Unlike Spanish, Galician usually puts no a before a person who is the direct object: Vin o teu irmán (I saw your brother), Chama o médico (Call the doctor).

How It Works

The general rule. No preposition, people included: Coñezo o teu irmán (I know your brother), Chamei o médico (I called the doctor), Vin os nenos no parque (I saw the children in the park). The Real Academia Galega dictionary notes that using a with a direct object is very limited.

Watch the article. Many a's are simply the feminine article: Quero moito a miña avoa (I love my grandmother very much), Vin a nena (I saw the girl). Test it with a masculine noun: Vin o neno. If a becomes o, it was the article.

When a is used.

  • Stressed personal pronouns, together with the matching unstressed pronoun: Vinte a ti (I saw you), Chameina a ela (I called her). See pronouns after prepositions.
  • A name or family word without the article: Vin a Xoán (I saw Xoán), Chamei a teu pai (I called your father). With the article, there is no a: Vin o Xoán, Chamei o teu pai. See the article with first names.
  • Avoiding ambiguity, when subject and object could be swapped: Venceu o Celta ao Deportivo (Celta beat Deportivo).
  • Uns aos outros (each other): Axúdanse uns aos outros. See reciprocal se.

Indirect objects are different. The person who receives something still takes a: Dei o libro a Marta (I gave the book to Marta). To check, replace the object with a pronoun: a direct object becomes o, a (Vino), an indirect one becomes lle (Deille o libro). See direct object pronouns and the preposition a.

Examples (6)

  1. Vin o teu irmán no mercado.

    I saw your brother at the market.

    Word by Word: Saw-I the your brother in-the market.

  2. Chama o médico, por favor.

    Call the doctor, please.

    Word by Word: Call the doctor, please.

  3. Quero moito a miña avoa.

    I love my grandmother very much.

    Word by Word: Love-I much the my grandmother.

    This a is the feminine article, not a preposition.

  4. Vinte a ti na festa.

    I saw you at the party.

    Word by Word: Saw-I-you to you at-the party.

    A stressed pronoun takes a and is doubled by the unstressed te.

  5. Axúdanse uns aos outros.

    They help each other.

    Word by Word: Help-themselves ones to-the others.

  6. Venceu o Celta ao Deportivo.

    Celta beat Deportivo.

    Word by Word: Beat the Celta to-the Deportivo.

    With the subject after the verb, ao marks which team was beaten.

Common Mistakes

  • Adding a before a person, as in Spanish.

    Vin ao teu irmán onte.
    Vin o teu irmán onte.

    Galician does not mark a person as direct object with a. The object follows the verb directly.

  • Adding a before an indefinite person.

    Busco a unha persoa que fale inglés.
    Busco unha persoa que fale inglés.

    The dictionary asks writers to avoid a with a direct object such as avisar a un médico; say busco unha persoa.

  • Using a stressed pronoun without the unstressed one.

    Vin a ti na festa.
    Vinte a ti na festa.

    A ti only adds emphasis. The unstressed te must still be attached to the verb: Vinte a ti, or simply Vinte.

How It Connects

Tap a pattern to see what it builds on and what it leads to.

Direct Objects Without aLevel 3

Learn This First

Galician direct objects generally do not use the Spanish personal-a pattern.

Words in This Pattern

a