Verbos - types

jimmurt

Buenos Dias!

I'm currently doing a Spanish course at an almost beginner level.

I'm picking it up ok but since it's all in Spanish (which is a good thing in the long run obviously), it can be difficult to ask questions and for me to completely understand the explanations. Some of the teachers are not even fully fluent in English.


Which makes it a pain sometimes when it comes to grammar and verbs.

Verbs and the different types are wrecking my head at present :pac:

I get the irregular vs. regular verbs as I've seen this in other languages and although they are a pain to learn I understand them.

The two types that get me are reflexive (e.g. llamarse - me, te, se etc.) and not sure the name of this set but examples are (gustar, encantar - where you use me, te, le etc.).

Can anyone explain (bear in mind I'm only learning less than a month) the differences between these two sets and the verbs that only use yo, tu, el/ella with? Or have a link to a website that explains these simply.

Thanks!

iusedtoknow

With reflexive, think of verbs that in English you'd use "to me" or "me". They are actions that you do to yourself. Bear in mind, I will be talking about Castillian (dialect in spain, not South American dialects which I know little about)
For instance.. llamarse has two uses
--
Me llamo - my name is...
llamarme! - call me!
--
Reflexive verbs can also be "normal" vebs as well - like Lavar - to wash and Lavarse - to wash oneself. There are verb that simply don't makes sense as "reflexive". For instance...leer - to read

Magico Gonzalez

iusedtoknow wrote: »

With reflexive, think of verbs that in English you'd use "to me" or "me". They are actions that you do to yourself. Bear in mind, I will be talking about Castillian (dialect in spain, not South American dialects which I know little about)
For instance.. llamarse has two uses
--
Me llamo - my name is...
llamarme! - call me!
--
Reflexive verbs can also be "normal" vebs as well - like Lavar - to wash and Lavarse - to wash oneself. There are verb that simply don't makes sense as "reflexive". For instance...leer - to read

Difference in South American spanish is pretty small to be honest. The biggest divergence is in Argentina but really that boils down to pronunciation, using "vos" instead of "tu" and ignoring vosotros/os completely. There are some coloquial differences in vocab, but not too much grammatically.

In terms of reflexive verbs, it is the same with the above caveat, i.e. there is not os/vosotros. You pl. is always ustedes. Simple!

Magico Gonzalez

iusedtoknow wrote: »

With reflexive, think of verbs that in English you'd use "to me" or "me". They are actions that you do to yourself. Bear in mind, I will be talking about Castillian (dialect in spain, not South American dialects which I know little about)
For instance.. llamarse has two uses
--
Me llamo - my name is...
llamarme! - call me!
--
Reflexive verbs can also be "normal" vebs as well - like Lavar - to wash and Lavarse - to wash oneself. There are verb that simply don't makes sense as "reflexive". For instance...leer - to read

Just reading that again, doesnt really have different uses there. Sometimes the simplified explanation leads us down a rabbit hole!

Here is a really good rule from: http://www.studyspanish.com/lessons/reflexive1.htm

If the object and the subject are the same, the verb is reflexive.

Me llamo = I call myself (I am the subject and the obect)
Llamarme = (You) call me

In the second there are distinct subjects and objects. You & me.

Also, careful with the verbs that "dont make sense" as reflexive, you cant really dismiss them so easily.

levantarse is a good example, Yo me levanto temprano = I get up early...but literally it means "I get myself up early" , it's less intuitive in English to include yourself as the subject and object in this sentence but is correct in Spanish.

Best advice. Just learn them! After a while it will become natural..patience is your friend! Also, use that website in the link, its pretty brief, but the explanations helped me.

languagenerd

The others one you asked about (gustar, encantar, interesar) aren't really reflexive as such.

When you say "Me gusta España" you mean "I like Spain", but you're literally saying "Spain pleases me". That's why the verb ending goes with "España", not "I".

"Me gusta el café" - Coffee pleases me (so gusta agrees with "café").
"Me gustan las bebidas calientes" - Hot drinks please me (so gustan agrees with "bebidas").

Basically, 90% of the time you will only use the 3rd person part of the verb (gusta or gustan). So as a rule of thumb, if the thing you're saying you like is singular, you say "Me gusta". If the thing you like is plural, you say "Me gustan".

Does that help?

BarcaDen

I live in Spain and I get away with not using the reflexivos... Not sure how I managed it to be honest. Except for the really common ones that you pick up from general interactions I seem to have a mental block about them. Otherwise I'd consider myself an upper intermediate speaker and I speak several times during the day, both for work and pleasure. Not sure why my point is here, just to let you know that you can speak a passable Spanish without mastering some of these things.