Breakdown of Mi abuelo me enseñó a jugar al ajedrez.
mi
my
el abuelo
the grandfather
a
to
al
to the (m)
me
to me / myself (reflexive) / me (direct object)
jugar
to play
enseñar
to show, to teach
el ajedrez
chess
Questions & Answers about Mi abuelo me enseñó a jugar al ajedrez.
Why is there an a between enseñó and jugar?
In Spanish, certain verbs need a specific preposition before another verb in the infinitive (the basic, unconjugated form like jugar). The verb enseñar (to teach) always uses the preposition a when you are teaching someone to do something.
Why is it al ajedrez and not just jugar ajedrez?
When you talk about playing a sport or a board game in Spain, you use the verb jugar followed by the preposition a and the definite article (like el or la). Since ajedrez is masculine, you combine a and el to make the contraction al.
Why does the word me come before the verb enseñó?
The word me is an indirect object pronoun meaning to me. In Spanish, these pronouns usually go immediately before the conjugated verb. So instead of English word order, the Spanish phrasing is literally to me taught (me enseñó).
What tense is enseñó and why is the accent mark important?
It is the preterite tense, which is used for completed actions in the past. It is the he/she/it form of enseñar, matching Mi abuelo. Notice the accent mark on the final ó; this is crucial, because without it, enseño means I teach in the present tense!
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