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When will we use 'a same', instead of 'the same'? Is it grammatical to say:

  1. We wore a same hat yesterday.
  2. We talked to a same teacher everyday.
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  • a similar or the same hat - definitely the same teacher so no it is not grammatical
    – mplungjan
    Commented Nov 20, 2012 at 8:35
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    If the hats really are the same, you can say "identical hats". But you can't say "identical teachers", at least, not unless they're clones.
    – Mr Lister
    Commented Nov 20, 2012 at 9:00

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Hardly ever, and your two examples are ungrammatical. Just about the only way same can be preceded by a is in a phrase such as a same day service, where the indefinite article relates to service, and same day is adjectival.

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    One might even aver that same day service could be hyphenated (i.e., a same-day service). (I'm not saying it needs to be, mind you, I'm just pointing out how unique such usages of "a same" happen to be.)
    – J.R.
    Commented Nov 20, 2012 at 9:21

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