Explain use of "te ves"
My friend posted a picture of himself holding his cousin's new baby. One of his friends posted this comment about the picture:
"Te ves muy bien con ese bebé en tus brazos."
I think it means "You look great with that baby in your arms."
But I'm confused about "te ves." It looks like they used the verb ver as a reflexive verb, right? But wouldn't that be translated "you see yourself" or something like that? I just don't understand this.
Is this the way to say "you look good" or is there another verb that is better?
10 Answers
I agree with gayland-smi in that "te ves" is used commonly in many American countries; in fact, a textbook I taught from several years ago had "Se ve" and "Te ves" on their vocabulary list meaning "he looks" and "you look". A friend of mine from Honduras says "te miras" for "you look".
"Se te ve" in Spain...This is definitely an example of the more a person knows about Spanish, the more a person realizes there is left to know about Spanish!
I'll let one of the more experienced linguists answer the grammar side of your question; but yes, "se ve", "te ves" is like saying "he/she/it looks" or "you look".
I've heard "se mira (te miras)" as well - used from what I could tell in the same way.
Example: La comida que has preparado se ve bien rica. The food you've prepared looks really good.
Te ves bonita en ese vestido. You look pretty/beautiful in that dress.
etc...
Y como siempre, por favor corrijan cualquier error que haya cometido.
"Te ves" indeed means "You look" as your friend used it in his sentence. I asked a native speaker who also is an instructor how do I tell my Colombiana "You look beautiful." His reply, "Te ves muy hermosa".
"Te ves muy bien con ese bebé en tus brazos."
This use is slighty regional, not so often used in Spain though you can also hear it here.
Yes, really it should be: Se te ve......
Te ves really means: You are seeing yourself (in a mirror, in a photo..)
"Te ves muy bien" is used for how someone looks physically. "Me veo muy bien" is I look good.
If it isn´t used reflexively it is the person or subject who is doing the looking. I watch TV would be "veo el televisor".
This is used commonly in Latin America. If you use paracer it is more about a state of mind or perhaps something inanimate like the weather. An example for you look happy would be "paraces feliz". or for the weather me parace que va a nevar
Te ves = you look, me veo = I look Cómo me veo? = How do I look? You can also say "Te miras bien" but it's less used.
"Ves la tele en la sala" - would that be "you watch TV in the living room"?
Re: Lesson 1.9. "Ves la tele" is used, yet the visual that accompanies it says "Ver la tele"
Not only, you are seeing yourself great in the photo. I think this, also includes this type of affirmation: anyone who sees you in the photo can appreciate how great you look.
The moment I saw this I thought of "you are looking at yourself" or the baby looks just like you.
It looks peculiar to me also, but I'd trust Lezipo's judgemnt more than mine. I would have used "pareces".
Just guessing, mind you, from previous threads that we have had here on the use of se, that the intent of the pronominal pronoun here is to shift focus from the verb's compliment to its subject. It's to emphasize that he looks good in this situation; not the baby in his arms.
