An α-D-galactose ligand equipped with an amine-functionalized linker through a short ethyl spacer. The primary amine can be covalently coupled with N-hydroxysuccinimide (NHS) activated esters to form stable amide bonds, providing a straightforward route to conjugate the ligand onto NHS-activated molecules and surfaces. This compound provides an α-anomeric galactose building block for glycoconjugate synthesis, glycomimetic research, and the construction of probes for galactose-recognizing proteins, including galectins and other carbohydrate-binding lectins. Terminal α-Gal residues are also a substrate for glycosyltransferases and relevant to studies of the α-Gal epitope (Galα1-3Gal) and anti-Gal antibody recognition.