Dejé la carta en el buzón y esperé al mensajero.

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Breakdown of Dejé la carta en el buzón y esperé al mensajero.

• en: in
• y: and
• a: to

Questions & Answers about Dejé la carta en el buzón y esperé al mensajero.

What tense are dejé and esperé, and why are they used here?

They’re the preterite (simple past), first person singular. The preterite is used for completed actions in the past, especially when they happen in sequence: first you left the letter, then you waited.

Why do dejé and esperé have accents?

The accent marks show the correct stress and distinguish them from other forms:

• dejé/esperé = preterite “I left/I waited”
• deje/espere = present subjunctive or formal command “that I/you (Ud.) leave/wait” For regular -ar verbs in the preterite, the yo form ends in -é.

Why is it al mensajero and not a el mensajero?

Because a + el contracts to al in Spanish. The contraction is obligatory.

Why is there an a before mensajero after esperé?

That’s the personal a. When the direct object is a person (or a beloved pet), Spanish generally uses a: esperar a alguien. Compare:

• Person: Esperé al mensajero.
• Thing: Esperé el paquete.

Can I say esperé por el mensajero?