verbs taking an indirect object
I checked out the list of verbs like gustar but when I went to the dictionary, the meanings were often not the same. For example the verbs-like-gustar list had TOCAR with the meaning "to be responsible for." I could not find that meaning in the dictionary and if I used tocar in a sentence for translation, the translation would always come back as "touch" I would like simple short sentences using these verbs and demonstrating the indirect object. Sentences that I could memorize and use in conversation. There were a few sentences on the verbs-like-gustar list, but not enough. Looking up the verbs (like sobrar) in the dictionary did not really demonstrate its use with the indirect object but was more valuable in showing the breadth of its use and idiomatic uses, which I am not ready for yet.
1 Answer
The online Collins Spanish-English has a section labelled as vi (verbo intransitivo), which is where you want to find this indirect-pronoun-only constructions. It has quite a few examples:
vi
(=corresponder)
no toca hacerlo hasta el mes que viene it's not due to be done until next month
ahora toca torcer a la derecha now you have to turn right
tocar a algn: les tocó un dólar a cada uno they got a dollar each
¿les tocará algo de herencia? will they get anything under the will?
me ha tocado el peor asiento I ended up with o got the worst seat
le tocó la lotería he won the lottery
¿a quién le toca? whose turn is it?
? tocar a algn hacer algo
te toca jugar it's your turn (to play), it's your go
nos toca pagar a nosotros it's our turn to pay
siempre me toca fregar a mí I'm always the one who has to do the dishes
a usted le toca reprenderle si lo cree conveniente it is up to you to reprimand him if you see fit
"Collins Spanish Dictionary 8th edition published in 2005 © William Collins Sons & Co Ltd 1971, 1988 © HarperCollins Publishers 1992, 1993, 1996, 1997, 2000, 2003, 2005"
