When to use reflexsive verbs and when not to use them????

Question

I am a little confused on when to use the reflexsive and when not to use it!! I understand its form like..... me llamo, te llamas, se llama etc etc etc but i am not sure when to use the me, te, se etc etc etc. I know that when you use the me, te ,se etc etc it is supposed to be directed back at yourself it is "me" and directed back at you if it is "te" and directed at him/her if it is se etc etc etc . But i dont knwo when to use this?????????

Answer 1

Like you, I find reflexive verbs both puzzling and amusing.

"Se vende," the universal "for sale" sign all over Hispanica, actually means "it sells itself." Which is really a cute way of putting it.

Also, here's one I spotted on a new highway near Santa Ana, Sonora: "No se estacione en la curva." Which means, I guess, "don't park itself on a curve."

As I said, puzzling and amusing...

You are not giving examples of reflexive verbs, but rather, the use of "impersonal se." http://www.spanishdict.com/answers/100022/impersonal-se - --Mariana--, Dec 6, 2009

Answer 2

Also, here's one I spotted on a new highway near Santa Ana, Sonora: "No se estacione en la curva." Which means, I guess, "don't park itself on a curve."

No, actually it's an example of the impersonal se usage and it simply means "Don't park on a curve". You can read more about it in this reference article. It should clear up at least some of the doubts concerning the naughty se

Oh, I like Issabela's response to "No se estacione en la curva" much better than my own!! Perhaps, however, I would call it "that capricious se" :-) - Janice, Dec 6, 2009

Answer 3

"No se estacione en la curva."

I think that we can understand the "se" here as the orm for the formal "you" - (usted).

In that case, you could read the sign (or at least understand it) as "Don't station yourself in the curve"....

Of course you would not read the sign that way...or at least translate it into English that way .....because we would say it in a somewhat different way in our own lingo: Don't park in the curve!

What do you think?

Answer 4

Normally the dictionary entry for the verb will indicate if the verb is "pronominal" or not.

For example, from the word llamar, (which must be translated into one of several different English words depending on the meaning, by the way) you see one for transitive verb ...here a single example:

llamar transitive verb

1) to call (dirigirse a, hacer venir) ; to beckon (con gestos)

• llamar (a) un taxi -> to hail a cab; (en la calle) to call for a taxi (por teléfono)

And then you may or may not see an entry for the verb when it is intransitive (do you recognize that grammar concept "intransitive" ?? there will be no object upon which the verb acts)

intransitive verb

6) to knock (a la puerta) (con golpes) ; to ring (con timbre)

• están llamando -> there's somebody at the door

7) to phone (por teléfono)

And finally you will see an entry for the verb with the "pronominal" use (most often, reflexive)

llamarse pronomial verb 1. to be called (tener por nombre, título)

* ¿cómo te llamas? -> what's your name?
* me llamo Patricia -> my name's Patricia
* eso es lo que se llama buena suerte -> that's what you call good

luck