Pronominal verbs?
I am having difficulty finding a definition of a Pronominal Verb. Is there somewhere on this site where a definition is given? If not, can anyone supply a definition?
3 Answers
The best way to think of them is "pronoun - ial" because they have the pronoun attached. Here is a good example: No me gustaría enfrentarme a tí" - I wouldn't want to face you. See how it is not reflexive because it has nothing to do with facing myself? See how you don't say "No me gustaría enfrentar" but rather "no me gustaría enfrentarme a tí"...... the verb enfrentarse in it's pronomial form needs the "se" (me, te, se) to work, sometimes a verb has a pronomial and a regular form that are very similar and you have to just know which one is more commonly used, you can learn this by practicing your speaking and listening and with total immersion. Enfrentar is a good one again, as it has a non pronomial form, to bring face to face, but I have not heard it used in that form, and I know that enfrentarse seems to be more common. 
This is a great link for pronominal verbs:
pronomial verbs in Spanish are one that employ reflexive pronouns but are not truly reflexive because the subject doesn´t act on itself and usually changes the meaning of the verb example negar to deny negarse to refuse. perder to lose perderse to get lost. reir to laugh reirse to laugh at to make fun of. advinar to guess , to divine adivinarse to make out to catch a glimspe in the distance.
