Breakdown of Alguien me prestó esta linterna ayer.
me
to me / me (direct object)
esta
this (feminine)
alguien
someone
prestar
to lend
ayer
yesterday
la linterna
the flashlight
Questions & Answers about Alguien me prestó esta linterna ayer.
Why doesn't alguien have a 'personal a' in front of it here?
We only use the 'personal a' when a person is the object of the sentence (the one receiving the action). In this sentence, alguien is the subject (the one doing the lending). If the sentence were 'I saw someone', you would say Vi a alguien because 'someone' would be the object receiving the action of being seen.
Does alguien always use a singular verb?
Why do we use esta instead of esto or está?
Esta (without an accent) is the feminine singular word for 'this', perfectly matching the feminine noun linterna. Esto is the gender-neutral 'this', which is only used for unknown objects or general ideas, never right next to a noun. Finally, está (with an accent) is a completely different word: it is the verb 'is' from estar.
Why is me placed before prestó? Could I attach it to the end?
No, you cannot attach it to the end of this verb. In Spanish, object pronouns like me (meaning 'to me' here) must go before a conjugated verb like prestó. You are only allowed to attach these pronouns to the very end of infinitives (like prestar), gerunds (like prestando), or affirmative commands.
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