Protejo a mi familia.

I protect my family.

Breakdown of Protejo a mi familia.

• la familia: the family
• yo: I
• mi: my
• a: to
• proteger: to protect

Questions & Answers about Protejo a mi familia.

Why is protejo spelled with a j instead of a g?

In Spanish, verbs ending in -ger or -gir change the g to j in the first-person singular present tense (yo form) to maintain the correct pronunciation. That’s why proteger becomes protejo instead of protego.

Why do we need the word a before mi familia?

Spanish uses the personal a before a direct object that is a person or a group of people (or even pets, in many cases) to show respect or emphasis on that person as a direct object. Therefore, you write protejo a mi familia rather than protejo mi familia.

Can I leave out the personal a in this sentence?

No. In standard Spanish, the personal a is required whenever the direct object is a person or group of people that you care about or is specific. Omitting it would be grammatically incorrect.

How do I conjugate proteger in the present tense?

• Yo protejo
• Tú proteges
• Él/Ella/Usted protege
• Nosotros protegemos
• Vosotros protegéis
• Ellos/Ellas/Ustedes protegen

The only notable spelling change is in the yo form (protejo).

If I say estoy protegiendo a mi familia, does it mean the same thing?

They are similar, but estoy protegiendo a mi familia puts emphasis on the action happening right now (the present continuous), while protejo a mi familia is a simple present statement indicating a general fact or habitual action.