a min tamén

Stressed Pronouns for Emphasis

Level 2

To highlight who is involved, add a + stressed pronoun: A min gústame o mar (I like the sea). The unstressed pronoun (me, che, lle…) stays in the sentence; the stressed one is extra.

How It Works

Two pronouns for one person: Galician often uses an unstressed pronoun and a stressed pronoun together. The unstressed one is required; the phrase with a is optional and adds emphasis. Gústame and A min gústame both mean I like it.

The forms: a min, a ti, a el / a ela / a vostede, a nós, a vós, a eles / a elas / a vostedes. They follow the rule for pronouns after prepositions.

Uses:

  • Contrast: A min gústame o mar, pero a ela non.
  • Clarity: lle can mean to him, to her or to you (vostede), so add the person: Díxenlle a ela (I told her).
  • Short answers: after a sentence with gustar, answer A min tamén (Me too) or A min tampouco (Me neither), not eu tamén.
  • Direct objects too: Víronme a min, non a ti (They saw me, not you).

Pronoun position: a fronted a min does not pull the pronoun before the verb, so write A min gústame, not A min me gusta. See pronouns after the verb. Words such as non and tamén still pull it forward: A min non me gusta, A min tamén me gusta. See pronouns before the verb after certain adverbs.

Examples (6)

  1. A min gústame o mar.

    I like the sea.

    Word by Word: To me pleases-me the sea.

    A min adds emphasis; the pronoun me stays attached to the verb.

  2. Encántame o polbo. A ti tamén?

    I love octopus. You too?

    Word by Word: Delights-me the octopus. To you also?

    A ti tamén is a short answer or question about gustar-type verbs.

  3. Díxenlle a ela, non a el.

    I told her, not him.

    Word by Word: Told-I-to-her to her, not to him.

    A ela makes clear who lle refers to.

  4. Víronme a min, non a ti.

    They saw me, not you.

    Word by Word: Saw-they-me to me, not to you.

    The same pattern works with direct objects for contrast.

  5. A nós encántanos viaxar.

    We love travelling.

    Word by Word: To us delights-us to-travel.

  6. A min non me importa.

    It does not matter to me.

    Word by Word: To me not me matters.

    Non pulls the pronoun before the verb.

Common Mistakes

  • Moving the pronoun before the verb because a min comes first.

    A min me gusta o mar.
    A min gústame o mar.

    A fronted a min does not trigger this change, so the pronoun stays joined after the verb. Me gusta at the start is the Spanish order.

  • Leaving out the unstressed pronoun.

    A min gusta o mar.
    A min gústame o mar.

    The unstressed pronoun me is required. A min only adds emphasis.

  • Answering a gustar sentence with eu tamén.

    Gústame o café. — Eu tamén.
    Gústame o café. — A min tamén.

    With gustar the person is expressed with a + pronoun, so the short answer is a min tamén.

How It Connects

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

a min taménLevel 2Stressed Pronouns for Emphasis

Learn This First

Stressed a min and similar phrases emphasize or clarify an object alongside its short pronoun.

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Words in This Pattern

amin