Answers
Mar 12, 2011 - 02:12 AM
If you want to say: I want to pay. Yo quiero pagar.
If you want to say: I am going to pay. Yo voy a pagar.
Quiero vs voy a....can't use both here. You either want to pay or you are going to pay.
Try thinking of 'a' as moving forward and
'De' as moving / looking back as in from, of, about.
This is for prepositional usage. 'a' has other uses which Fluenz covers later in the program.
The structure is always....yo voy a, tú vas a, etc.
If I said ¿De quién? ( from who, of who, about who) your answer would start with 'de'....de Daniel, de mi hijá
If I said ¿A quien? ( to who) your answer would start with 'a'....a Daniel, a mi hijá,
Yo voy a comprar la cerveza de Luis. I am going to buy beer for Luis. I am going to (forward) buy beer for Luis (back there).
This is a somewhat simplistic view of how to look at 'a' and 'de'. There are many grammar rules and exceptions. Preposition usage is one of the most difficult things to get right in any language even for native speakers. For now, focus on being understood and you'll be just fine! And be sure to post any questions you have on the Fluenz Commons. If you have a question, chances are that many people have the same question.
If you want to say: I am going to pay. Yo voy a pagar.
Quiero vs voy a....can't use both here. You either want to pay or you are going to pay.
Try thinking of 'a' as moving forward and
'De' as moving / looking back as in from, of, about.
This is for prepositional usage. 'a' has other uses which Fluenz covers later in the program.
The structure is always....yo voy a, tú vas a, etc.
If I said ¿De quién? ( from who, of who, about who) your answer would start with 'de'....de Daniel, de mi hijá
If I said ¿A quien? ( to who) your answer would start with 'a'....a Daniel, a mi hijá,
Yo voy a comprar la cerveza de Luis. I am going to buy beer for Luis. I am going to (forward) buy beer for Luis (back there).
This is a somewhat simplistic view of how to look at 'a' and 'de'. There are many grammar rules and exceptions. Preposition usage is one of the most difficult things to get right in any language even for native speakers. For now, focus on being understood and you'll be just fine! And be sure to post any questions you have on the Fluenz Commons. If you have a question, chances are that many people have the same question.
Mar 12, 2011 - 07:52 PM
Thanks, Cheryl!