Breakdown of Mis metas me motivan a aprender español.
aprender
to learn
español
Spanish
me
me
a
to
mis
my
la meta
the goal
motivar
to motivate
Elon.io is an online learning platform
We have an entire course teaching Spanish grammar and vocabulary.
Questions & Answers about Mis metas me motivan a aprender español.
Why does the verb end in -an in motivan?
Spanish verbs must agree with their subjects in person and number. Here the subject is mis metas (third person plural), so the verb takes the third-person-plural ending -an: motivan.
What is me in me motivan, and why is it needed?
me is an indirect-object pronoun meaning “to me” or “for me.” In Spanish, when you motivate someone (motivar a alguien), that someone is the indirect object. So you need me to show who is doing the receiving of the motivation.
Why do we place me before motivan instead of after?
With a conjugated verb in Spanish, object pronouns go before the verb. Pronouns attach after infinitives, gerunds, or affirmative commands, but never after a standalone conjugated verb.
Why is there an a before aprender? Can we use para or omit it?
The standard pattern is motivar a alguien a hacer algo. The first a marks the indirect object (a alguien) and the second a introduces the infinitive (a hacer algo). Using para would change the nuance to “in order to,” and dropping a breaks the pattern—mis metas me motivan aprender is ungrammatical in Spanish.
Could I attach me to aprender and say motivan a aprenderme español?
No. Attaching me to the infinitive (aprenderme) makes it reflexive (“to learn for oneself”) and loses the intended meaning. Also, pronouns only attach to infinitives when there’s no separate conjugated verb.
Can I use a different tense or form, like Mis metas me están motivando a aprender español?
Yes. The simple present (me motivan) expresses a general truth or ongoing situation. If you want to emphasize the action happening right now, the present progressive works fine: Mis metas me están motivando a aprender español.
Could I replace mis metas with mis objetivos or mis sueños, and would the meaning change?
Absolutely. objetivos (objectives) and sueños (dreams) are synonyms of metas, though each carries a slight nuance: objetivos sounds more formal, sueños more emotional.
Can I invert the sentence and say Me motivan mis metas a aprender español? Is that natural?
Yes. Spanish allows inversion for emphasis. Me motivan mis metas a aprender español is perfectly correct and simply shifts the focus onto me.
What’s the difference between me motivan and me inspiran?
Both mean that something drives you to act. motivar stresses incentive and purpose (your goals give you drive), while inspirar emphasizes an emotional or creative spark. They’re often interchangeable, but the nuance differs.