How the recipient is marked
How do we show who gets something or who something is done for?
Meaning
Languages mark the link between an action and the person who receives something or has something done for them. This lets us tell that person apart from the thing given, sent, or made. The link may use word order, a separate word, or an ending; some languages have no special recipient ending. Recipient and beneficiary describes the person's role, while How the recipient is marked looks at how the sentence shows that role.
How to spot it
Find the receiver or the person helped, then look at the position, word, or ending that links them to the action.
In your native language
English can mark a recipient with to and someone benefiting with for. With verbs such as give, send, and buy, the person can also come before the thing: give Ben a book or buy Ben a book. This two-object pattern is not available with every verb; explain, for example, uses explain something to someone.
Lily gave Ben a sandwich.
The receiver comes before the thing given, without to.
Lily gave a sandwich to Ben.
The receiver comes after the thing and is introduced by to.
I bought a notebook for my sister.
For marks the person the notebook was bought for.
In your learning language
Spanish marks a recipient with a and often also uses the short pronouns le or les before a conjugated verb. With a full pronoun such as a mí or a ella, the short pronoun is normally required; le and les become se before lo, la, los, or las. Para marks who something is intended for and does not replace a in the ordinary recipient pattern with dar.
Le mandé una foto a mi hermana.
I sent my sister a photo.
Le and a mi hermana identify the same recipient.
Ese libro se lo presté a él.
I lent that book to him.
Se replaces le before lo; lo refers to the book.
Compré pan para mis vecinos.
I bought bread for my neighbors.
Para names the people the bread is intended for.
Learners whose language marks the recipient only once may omit le or les where Spanish requires it, especially with a full pronoun. Learners whose language uses one marker for receivers and intended beneficiaries may use para where a is needed.