A good series at just the right level, BUT . . .

Garry M.A2Kwiziq Q&A regular contributor

A good series at just the right level, BUT . . .

In the sentence "Diana compró la pluma al vendedor" why is "al" used instead of "del" - from the vendor? Diana compró la pluma del vendedor. - Diana bought the vendor's pen?
Asked 1 week ago
SilviaKwiziq Native Spanish TeacherCorrect answer

Hola Garry M.

Good question! In Spanish, "comprar algo a alguien" means 'to buy something from someone', indicating the person from whom you're buying. Thus, "Diana compró la pluma al vendedor" translates as 'Diana bought the pen from the vendor'.

If we said "del vendedor", it would imply possession, as in 'the vendor’s own pen', not one he was selling.

Hope this clarifies the difference!

Un abrazo

Silvia

Garry M. asked:

A good series at just the right level, BUT . . .

In the sentence "Diana compró la pluma al vendedor" why is "al" used instead of "del" - from the vendor? Diana compró la pluma del vendedor. - Diana bought the vendor's pen?

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