Help - ¡Please! - In Understanding a Difficult Structure

Question

Hi Everyone:

The word is antojarse and I have no problem understanding it's use. But, can someone please help me to understand what the "se" is doing there. I have already looked in the Reference Section under both 'reflexive" and "se" subjects and have been unable to find this structure. I feel like I am trying to crack my personal DaVinci Code here so any and all help would be greatly appreciated!

Thanks...

Se me antoja ir al cine - I feel like going to the movies.

A ella se le antojan dos zanahorias - she feels like having two carrots.

Se me antoja que no saldrá - I have the feeling she won't leave.

Answer 1

La razón del "se" es simple: el verbo es "antojarse", no "antojar". Es un verbo pronominal que se usa siempre con esa forma y sólo en tercera persona.

Antojarse. (De antojo).

1 prnl. Dicho de una cosa: Hacerse objeto de vehemente deseo, especialmente si es por puro capricho.

Examples: Se me antojó una flor. No hace más que lo que se le antoja.

2 prnl. Dicho de una cosa: Ofrecerse a la consideración como probable.

Example: Se me antoja que va a llover.

Usar solo en 3.ª pers. con los pronombres me, te, se, le, etc.

Answer 2

.though I feel that what you have told me tells me where the "me" and "le" come from but no the "se".

I agree. I'm not a native and probably not qualified to even make this suggestion, but I think I've heard reference to to what you are addressing here before. It may not refer directly to your context, but I believe it is an analogous usage.

In the article below there is a discussion on using the pronominal se to express completeness. If not in that particular article, we have had others discussing how the pronominal se is used to express accidentally (the threads was on using olvardarse and forgetting one's keys). I also recall a thread where the pronominal se was used to express that something happened suddenly, unexpectedly. I suspect that something similar is taking place in your context.

From the RAE dictionary:

antojarse

Dicho de una cosa: Hacerse objeto de vehemente deseo, especialmente si es de puro capricho.

Se me antojó una flor.

No hace más que lo que se le antoja.

I think that the pronominal se in your sentence is either expressing the vehemently or caprice in the meaning of antojarse. I would apprectiate any comments from a native who is surely more familiar with these pronominal uses of verbs beyond the common uses for passive, reciprocal, reflexive, impersonal usages taught in beginner grammar books.

[se for completeness][1]

[1]: Transitive? Reflexive? Pronominal? - Verbs and pronouns

Answer 3

Thanks for the assistance, Morphine...though I feel that what you have told me tells me where the "me" and "le" come from but no the "se".

Answer 4

Because of the meaning of the verb, it is (almost) always going to be conjugated reflexively, because the action of the verb reflects back on the subject.

For that reason, the infinitive is given with the 'se' tacked onto the end. The only time you would actually see it used like this in the language is something like... "Debe antojarse que saldrá."

Every verb that is most often reflexive you will find written like this in the dictionary. For example try afeitarse.