me es = es para mi
I have been trying to get an answer to this question, but have just got more confused by the ambiguity in replies and differences of opinion.
Could a native speaker please clarify this for me?
Is the meaning of 'me es' and 'es para mi' exactly the same - ie do they both mean 'it is for me'?
For example: El libro es para mi / El libro me es (the book is for me)
then in turn shorten the sentence to:
'me es' or 'es para mi' = it is for me. Do these both mean the same thing?
Where I'm coming from here is, I'm trying to decide whether 'me es' in this case literally means 'it is me' ie not correct Spanish (or English) in this context.
4 Answers
Is the meaning of 'me es' and 'es para mi' exactly the same - ie do they both mean 'it is for me'?
It depends, because "for me" in English has several different meanings. It is the same if it means "in my opinion", not when it indicates possession or other things.
For example: El libro es para mi / El libro me es (the book is for me)
This time it indicates possession, so the second version makes no sense.
'me es' or 'es para mi' = it is for me. Do these both mean the same thing?
No. That "me" is an unusual kind of indirect object that indicates who holds the opinion stated with "ser". "Me es indiferente" is literally "To me, it is indifferent", i.e. I am not interested.
En el ejemplo "el libro me es" significa: "para mi el libro es" Si dices el libro me es indiferente, quieres decir que el libro para ti es indiferente. Lo puedes traducir por "para mi es".
Where I'm coming from here is, I'm trying to decide whether 'me es' in this case literally means 'it is me' ie not correct Spanish (or English) in this context.
The idiomatic way to say that is Soy yo.
Lazarus has given you a complete answer. The phrase would not be said with the meaning you are asking about because, in Spanish, the phrase means something else.
If you still don't understand, come back after a short break and re-phrase your question.
Thank you very much for the answer. However, would it be possible to translate it into English please because my Spanish is still very basic 
