Verbs that take a: empezar a, aprender a, ayudar a

Explanation

A set of verbs requires a before a following infinitive — the a is part of the verb's grammar, not a separate 'to'. The big ones: empezar a, comenzar a, aprender a, enseñar a, ayudar a, invitar a, volver a ('to do again'), atreverse a ('to dare to'), acostumbrarse a, ponerse a. So: empecé a estudiar, me ayudó a mudarme.

Motion verbs also take a + infinitive to express purpose: vino a verme, salió a comprar, bajó a abrir. And volver a + infinitive is the standard way to say 'to (do) again': volví a llamar.

Some verbs take a before a noun rather than an infinitive: asistir a ('attend'), jugar a ('play a game'), parecerse a ('resemble'), acercarse a ('approach'), oler a ('smell of'). Dropping the a (*empecé estudiar, *aprendí manejar) is one of the most common learner errors.

Examples

Related rules

• The preposition a: direction, time, manner
• Verb periphrases: the map