La persona habla con mi amigo.

with

Breakdown of La persona habla con mi amigo.

• mi: my
• el amigo: the friend
• hablar: to talk
• la persona: the person

Questions & Answers about La persona habla con mi amigo.

Why is "La persona" used instead of "Una persona"?

Using la persona refers to a specific or previously mentioned individual, somewhat like saying the person in English. In contrast, una persona would mean a person, which introduces an unspecified or unknown individual.

Why do we use the verb "habla" instead of "hablo" or "hablan"?

Habla is the third-person singular form (he/she/it speaks). It matches with la persona (the person) as the subject, which is also third-person singular. Hablo would be first-person singular (I speak), and hablan would be third-person plural (they speak), so they wouldn’t match the subject la persona.

Why is the preposition "con" used and not "a" or something else?

In Spanish, con translates as with and indicates accompaniment. Saying habla con mi amigo literally means talks with my friend. If you used a instead, it would convey talks to my friend, which in many contexts overlaps with talks with but can slightly shift the nuance. Generally, con is the standard preposition for speaking alongside or in conjunction with someone.

Could we say "La persona está hablando con mi amigo"?

Yes. La persona está hablando con mi amigo (The person is talking with my friend) puts emphasis on the ongoing action in the present moment (the present progressive tense). La persona habla con mi amigo can be a general statement indicating a habitual or regular action, or simply stating a fact that the person talks with your friend.

Is it always necessary to use "La persona" instead of a pronoun in Spanish?

Not necessarily. In Spanish, pronouns (like él/ella) are often omitted if the subject is clear from context. You might see or hear Habla con mi amigo if it's already clear who is speaking. La persona is more explicit and is used when you specifically want to talk about the person rather than simply he or she.