Debe Fijarse

Question

Hello we have a informal spanish study group and are using the Spanish Made Simple book and are stuck can someone help us?

Their is a sentence in the book that says:

"Obviamente debe fijarse en el cambio ofical del día"

the textbook says the english translation is "obviously you have to check the current exchange rate"

We are stuck on the "debe fijarse" part... can anyone explain this to us

We are stuck on the "se" is it a direct or direct object....and the two words "debe fijarse" do not seem to fit the translation...

In google translate when I put in "debe fijarse" - I get "be fixed"

Spanish dict has deber as to have to do something and fijar= to fix or 1. to pay attention (notar)

In google translate when I put in "debe fijarse" - I get "be fixed"

Help!

Thank you, Shawn

Thank you all for your aswers they were very helpful. I am sending this out to the study group now. - shawn5, Jun 22, 2010

Answer 1

fijarse means "to look"... i guess for it to make sense with the reflexive, you can think of it as "fix yourself on," which kinda is like looking. it doesnt really directly translate, but "fijarse en" means to look at. Oh, and "debe" means should (it comes from the verb deber.) So the sentence means "obviously he should look at the current exchange rate"

Answer 2

Deber: to express obligation, should

Fijarse: (among other things) Pay attention to

Fijarse

"Fíjate en lo que estás haciendo" would be "pay attention to what you´re doing".

Answer 3

To me it doesn't mean so much to pay attention as it does to "put attention" or "to fix your attention" on something. Fíjate = put your attention (on this). So, Fíjate = check it out. Fíjate bien = focus in on this well. Put your attention on this really closely.

I agree. - --Mariana--, Jun 22, 2010