How to Use the Spanish Preposition A

Using the Spanish preposition a (ah) correctly in a sentence can be tricky because a(which translates to to or at in English) can show a number of things. So how exactly can you figure out what the Spanish preposition a expresses? Take a look at this list to see examples of what a can show, and youll soon make sense of this playful preposition. 1 Time A can be used to illustrate when something will happen. For example, using a in the sentence Te llamo a las tres (Ill call you at 3 oclock) means that youll call the person youre talking to at 3 oclock, not at any other time.

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You can use a to indicate movement. Perhaps you want to tell your friends that your family is going to the beach. In that case, youd say Vamos a la playa(Were going to the beach). 3 Location Use a to tell someone where to go: Espere a la entrada. (Wait at the entrance.)

Enlarge 4 Means/manner Perhaps one of the more surprising ways a can be used is to indicate the means or manner in which an activity is done. So to express Its prepared in the Spanish way, for example, youd saySe prepara a la espaola. 5 Price A can also be used to show the price of an item: Puede comprarlo a cien pesos. (You can buy it for 100 pesos.)

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