Verbs with "included" prepositions
I have read in several Spanish grammar texts to be "alert" that some Spanish verbs include an unspoken and unwritten notion of a preposition. One example frequently cited is "buscar" which they say is frequently mistakenly taken to translate as "look" when it actually should be "look for." Another is "mirar" also said to often be mistakenly translated simply as "look" when it should be "look at." I understand the warning and am trying to be alert, as they suggest. They all say that dictionaries provide the "signals" to enable us to identify which verbs do and which ones do not include the meaning of a particular preposition. In the case of "buscar", it seems, by the examples given that the "signal" may be whether the use is transitive or not. Under transitive uses, my dictionary gives "Las plantas buscan la luz = plants grow toward the light." I see how it can be translated like that even though it isn't a literal one. "El acomodador me buscó un asiento al fondo = the usher found me a seat at the back." I understand this one also (The usher found (for me) a seat at the back." Intransitive use examples are: "Ya puedes dejar de buscar, aquí tienes las llaves." "¿Has buscado bien?" "Busca en la pagina numero 45." Seems that in intransitive use, buscar is equal to simply "look."
If someone can provide more clarifying information it will be appreciated.
1 Answer
Great question! Look by itself means mirar. My suggestion is that rather than creating a whole bunch of rules in your head, you'd be better off translating the original verbal phrase into a non-verbal phrase in English first and then into Spanish.
Example:
Look out, there's a car coming ---> Be careful, there is car coming ----> Ten cuidado, viene un carro.
Let me provide you some other examples on how to translate to Look in Spanish.
look after (ver de, cuidar de) look back (revisar, remontarse a, acordarse de) look down on / upon (mirar con desdén) look for (buscar) look in or into (buscar dentro de algo) with exceptions such as look me in the eye Mírame a los ojos look into (investigar o averiguar) Let me look in to this. Déjame investigar. look on / upon (opinar) They look upon gambling as sinful. Opinan que apostar es pecado. look out (tener cuidado o mirar hacia afuera o dar hacia afuera) look over (examinar, dar un vistazo a algo) look to (dirigir la mirada hacia algo) look up (mirar hacia arriba, prosperar, buscar en un libro o diccionario, mirar a alguien con admiración)
I hope this helps!
