Me trae and me da
Is me da un vaso de agua por favor correct and me trae otro cuchara?
8 Answers
Quentin, can I not sometimes put the pronoun ("me" in the example sentence) in Spanish before the verb in the imperative?
If it is an affirmative command the pronoun must be attached to the end of the command.
Dígame. (formal)
Dime. (informal)
Vayámonos. (Vámonos) (Let's go/leave)
If the command is a negative command then the pronoun precedes the verb.
No me diga. (formal)
No me digas (informal)
No nos vayamos. (Let's not go/leave)
cuchara is a spoon (never trust anything anyone tells you here. Look it up for yourself to be sure. Unfortunately, we are all imperfect (excluding Heidita, of course. When she makes an error it is on purpose. She is testing your knowledge of Spanish/English....or so she claims).
Well done. You've convinced me. Thank you.
This looks very close to how we use a declaration in English and change it into a question through intonation.
You are bringing me a menu? rather than Are you bringing me a menu?
Very interesting.
I would definitely use podrías darme un vaso de agua. If I was trying to be super polite, like with someone I didn't know, I would say pudieras traerme otra cuchara. There might be a way in which I'm not aware of to ask for something in this manner without using poder. At the very least I would say puedes darme....
Although Quentin and Pescador are right to an extent (except for when Pescador said "pusieras traerme otra cuchara" because he meant "pudieras" using poder not poner". ) The form "me da" and "me trae" is yet another polite form to ask, like a command. I will look for sources but I know I am right.
Found one source: Type "me trae" in the findbox of your browser Found another source: Type "me trae" in the findbox of your browser Found another source: Type "me trae" in the findbox of your browser
Quentin, can I not sometimes put the pronoun ("me" in the example sentence) in Spanish before the verb in the imperative?
I ask because I can do this in Italian. "Me trae otro vaso de agua" sounds very nice to me .... but maybe just because of the Italian.....I would say it with a question mark in my voice..like this: ¿Me trae otra vaso de agua? por favor.
(I still haven't looked up "cuchara"....so I won't ask for one.)
Both of those commands are correct, they are "passive commands". I'm not sure the terminology but they are correct.
Edit: I think it might be called "passive voice", can't remember, but they are used as commands, just not as command-like. Suggestions more like, but with an almost commanding tone.
delete- already answered.
If you are using it at a command, the pronoun must be attached to an affirmative command verb.
Dame un vaso de agua, por favor.
Same with the 2nd sentence. If you are giving a command, you must attach the pronoun to the verb.
Tráeme otra cuchara.
Do you intend your two phrases to be what we might call "commands", as in "Do this, please" (e.g., give me a glass of water) or "Do that, if you would be so kind" (i.e., bring me another cuchara.)
(ps. I add the extra words to illustrate that I mean the word "command" in the grammatical sense...not the "I am the king" sense
)
