Questions & Answers about Veo a un extraño en la calle.
What does Veo a un extraño en la calle mean in English?
It means "I see a stranger on the street." In this sentence, "veo" is the first-person singular present form of "ver," meaning "I see," while "a un extraño" indicates the person being seen (a stranger), and "en la calle" tells us the location (on the street).
Why is there an a before un extraño?
In Spanish, when the direct object of a verb is a person (or an animate being), the personal a is required. Since "un extraño" refers to a person, the preposition "a" is used before it to mark the direct object properly.
What role does the article un play in this sentence?
The article "un" is the indefinite article that tells us the noun "extraño" is singular and non-specific. It corresponds to "a" in English (as in "a stranger") and indicates that the speaker is referring to any stranger rather than a particular one.
Can extraño function both as an adjective and a noun, and how do we know its use here?
Yes, "extraño" can serve as both an adjective (meaning "strange" or "odd") and as a noun (meaning "stranger"). In this sentence, it functions as a noun because it follows the article "un" and acts as the direct object of "veo." This structure clarifies that we are talking about a person (a stranger) rather than describing a quality.
What is the function of the phrase en la calle?
The phrase "en la calle" specifies the location of the action. "En" means "in" or "on," and "la calle" means "the street." It answers the question "where?" and provides context about where the speaker sees the stranger.
More from this lesson
AI Language TutorTry it ↗
“How does verb conjugation work in Spanish?”
Spanish verbs change form based on the subject, tense, and mood. Regular verbs follow predictable patterns depending on whether they end in ‑ar, ‑er, or ‑ir. For example, "hablar" (to speak) becomes "hablo" (I speak), "hablas" (you speak), and "habla" (he/she speaks) in the present tense.
Sign up free — start using our AI language tutor
Start learning SpanishMaster Spanish — from Veo a un extraño en la calle to fluency
All course content and exercises are completely free — no paywalls, no trial periods.
- ✓ Infinitely deep — unlimited vocabulary and grammar
- ✓ Fast-paced — build complex sentences from the start
- ✓ Unforgettable — efficient spaced repetition system
- ✓ AI tutor to answer your grammar questions