Yo acompaño a mi hermano a la escuela.

I accompany my brother to school.

Breakdown of Yo acompaño a mi hermano a la escuela.

• yo: I
• mi: my
• la escuela: the school
• el hermano: the brother
• a: to
• acompañar: to accompany

Questions & Answers about Yo acompaño a mi hermano a la escuela.

What does acompañar mean in this sentence?

It means "to accompany." In this context, it indicates that the speaker goes along with their brother to school, emphasizing being together rather than just transporting him.

Why is there a personal a before mi hermano?

In Spanish, when a direct object refers to a person or a personified animal, a personal a is required. Therefore, a mi hermano is used to indicate that my brother is the person being accompanied.

What is the role of the a in a la escuela?

Here, the a functions as a preposition showing movement or direction—it translates to "to" in English. It indicates that the destination of the accompaniment is school.

Why does the sentence include the subject pronoun Yo if the verb conjugation already indicates the subject?

Spanish is a pro-drop language, which means subject pronouns are often omitted since the verb ending usually makes it clear who is performing the action. However, including Yo can add emphasis or clarity regarding the subject, especially when contrasting who is doing the action.

Could I substitute acompañar with llevar in this sentence, or would that alter the meaning?

Although llevar means "to take" or "to carry," it emphasizes the act of transporting someone rather than the joint experience of going together. Acompañar specifically stresses that you are going with your brother. So while both can sometimes be used to discuss movement, using acompañar here better conveys the nuance of being together on the journey.