El vino sabe a vinagre. The wine tastes like vinegar.
Dejó atrás un fuerte olor a He left behind a strong smell of
colonia. aftershave.
El auditorio suena a hueco. The auditorium sounds hollow.
Awith the meaning of ‘from’
This is a common usage after some verbs which imply ‘depriving’, ‘taking
away’ or ‘purchasing from’, especially quitar‘to take away’, cortar‘to cut’,
robar‘to steal’, comprar ‘to buy’:
La policía le quitó la ropa The police took away the
al sospechoso. suspect’s clothes.
Se lo compré a Carlos. I bought it from Carlos.
See also 8.2.2.4 for the use of the indirect object pronoun with this meaning.
Expressions constructed with a
(a) Ais used to form phrases expressing manner such as the following:
a caballo on horseback a mano by hand
a ciegas blindly a la parilla/plancha grilled
a lápiz in pencil a pie on foot
This includes methods of fuelling and powering:
una lámpara a querosén/ a kerosene/paraffin lamp
querosene[LA]
una olla a presión a pressure cooker
Note: Means of mechanical transport are introduced by en: Vine en avión/tren/carro
[LA] ‘I came by plane/train/car’.
(b) Al, a loand a laexpress a manner that is especially a style:
huevos a la flamenca i.e. baked eggs with sausage, ham
and tomatoes
el pelo a lo Beckham Beckham-style hair
21.1.8
21.1.7
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2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9
1011
1
12111
3 4 5 6 7 8 9
20111
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9
30111
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9
40
41111
A
219
