Yo te averiguo.

Question

This is the complete entry for averiguar in SpanishDict's dictionary:

averiguar
transitive verb
1. to find out
Copyright © 2006 Chambers Harrap Publishers Limited

averiguar [ah-vay-re-goo-ar']
article & verb transitive
1. To inquire, to investigate, to find out.
Averiguarse con alguno -> to bring one to reason
Averígüelo Vargas -> it is difficult to investigate
verb neuter
2. To quarrel, fight. (Central America & Mexico) (m & n)

verb reflexive
Averiguarse con uno -> to tie somebody down; to get along with somebody
Velazquez® Spanish and English Dictionary. Copyright © 2007 by Velazquez® Press. All rights reserved.

How would you translate "Yo te averiguo."'

Answer 1

Thanks again, Heidita. Now it is beginning to look like that is an accepted colloquial usage in the Americas. I guess it will be in the next RAE revision, right?

Answer 2

Thanks for the reference, Heidita.

Siempre a tu servicio, rocco

The person who used the expression in that thread appears to be educated, and fluent in both Spanish and English, Spanish being her native language. That lends some credibility to its use, at least as a colloquialism, in Mexico.

That's my saying. In Spain you would gain strange looks if you used the word averiguar like this. But not in Mexico. Which is the point here.

De hecho he encontrado alguno más en el mismo foro:

http://forum.wordreference.com/showthread.php't=1445768&highlight=averiguo
(post 20)

This one using "te averiguo" by an Argentinian native:

http://forum.wordreference.com/showthread.php't=1275807&highlight=averiguo

(post 2)

http://forum.wordreference.com/showthread.php't=506348&highlight=averiguo

post 2 (mexican)

Answer 3

Thanks for the reference, Heidita. The person who used the expression in that thread appears to be educated, and fluent in both Spanish and English, Spanish being her native language. That lends some credibility to its use, at least as a colloquialism, in Mexico.

Answer 4

Rocco, I would consider this strange, to say the least, but both Lazarus and I a are Spanish!

I have a friend from Nicaragua who says this all the time and a waitress from ÿolombia too. You ask her something she does not know and she will answer you: **yo (le) averiguo y se lo digo. **

I would not consider this a mistake or even poor language under the circumstances. It is very colloquial in latin countries. Especially in Mexico I guess.

Look at this thread, post 9, this person uses the very same expression.

http://forum.wordreference.com/showthread.php't=902168&highlight=yo+averiguo

Answer 5

Thanks, Lazarus, for your insight.

Answer 6

Sorry ... a little context would actually help here, wouldn't it?

Person 1 = "bilingual"; Person two = English only; Person 3 = Spanish only

Scenario 1:

Person 1: Does he have two or three outstanding warrants?

Person 2: Uhh ... umm ... I think it's two. Wait, it might be three. Umm ...--

Person 1 (to Person 3): Yo averiguo.

Scenario 2:

Person 1 to Person 3: No sé exactamente cuáles cargos tienes. Cuando lleguemos a la cárcel, yo te averiguo.

Note, my problem here is not, understanding what the guy means. It is obvious what he is trying to say. I repeat, my assignment is to reproduce in English the level of language of his "Spanish", whether that be formal, colloquial, poor syntax/construction, wrong vocabulary, blatant errors, etc.

So I repeat my question: Is this normal colloquial usage? Is it incorrect? Does it sound totally weird and foreign to the native ear? Any suggestions on how I should render this'

Answer 7

Is this normal colloquial usage? Is it incorrect? Does it sound totally weird and foreign to the native ear? Any suggestions on how I should render this?

In proper written Spanish, definitely unacceptable, unless there is some regional use I haven't heard of. In spoken Spanish, it only makes sense if the intonation of the voice suggests that your are leaving the sentence unfinished on purpose, but obviously there is something else to say afterwards: "Te averiguo lo que quieras" (or whatever). But if you don't stretch the language to this extent colloquially, it sounds plain bad.

Answer 8

Yo averiguo - > I check it out ?
I agree that its very weird the expression Yo te averiguo. (person averigua person)
Like..
Cuando es el show?
No sé, pero Yo te averiguo. (person averigua thing)

Like this it makes much more sense to me, as lazarus said.

Answer 9

My guess is that "Yo te averiguo" is actually "Yo te averiguo (eso)", ie. I'll find (it) out for you. You can't "averiguar" people.
So is it incorrect to say, "Yo te averiguo"? Is it colloquial?

In my transcription/translation project (the one where I have to try to transfer into English the nuances, subtleties, awkwardness, errors, etc., of the original), how would you recommend I render it? Is it understood (colloquially) the way you suggested ("I'll find out for you."), or does it sound plain wrong?

In another part of the script, the same person says simply, "Yo averiguo." Is that a colloquial usage, as well? The only intransitive definition RAE gives is an El Salvador usage, "Discutir, protestar, hablar mucho."

Answer 10

My guess is that "Yo te averiguo" is actually "Yo te averiguo (eso)", ie. I'll find (it) out for you. You can't "averiguar" people.

Answer 11

I would translate it as: I investigate you, or in the most familiar: I keep my eye on you.