personal a with animals

Question

If the direct object of a verb is an animal, but not a pet or cherished animal, for example a tiger, is the personal a still indicated?Busco a un tigre. or,Busco un tigre.

Inma Sánchez · Answer

Hola GeraldThe use of the personal a in Spanish with animals as direct objects is not a clear-cut rule. We generally use the personal a if we're talking about pets, as it is a more affectionate relationship (as if they were people) and normally don't use it with animals in general, especially if the animals are not "identified" and "not specific". In your sentences:Busco a un tigreBusco un tigreThe use of the personal a in the first one makes us think you have a tiger in mind that you are looking for, however the second one is more general. Having said this, this rule is a bit flexible sometimes and we see some cases as optional. SaludosInma