Nunca podría comérmelo. More questions on ¨objects¨.

Question

Este pollo lindo es muy pequeño. !Nunca podía comer éste!

This cute little chicken is very small. I could never eat this one!

Correction Este pollito lindo es muy pequeño. !Nunca podría comérmelo!

I´d like to thank cogumela for the correction. I would like to be sure I understand why. I think I do, but any more feedback on direct object and indirect object pronouns is appreciated.

I think ¨this one¨ could also mean ¨it¨ the little chicken. Because ¨pollito¨ is masculine the pronoun is ¨lo¨? And it is the indirect object?

I think the ¨I¨ in ¨I could¨ is the ¨me¨?

In comérmelo the ¨me¨ is first and the ¨lo¨ is second. I´m not sure I see ¨me¨ as the indirect object. In this case is ¨me¨ not an object but something else? And is needed for a proper Spanish translation?

Muchas gracias!

Answer 1

@ Stadt

Comerse vs. comer.

I think both you and Heidita are indicating, the infinitive is not comer, but comerse? And since “I could never eat” is in the “yo form”, “me” is used? I liked how you talked about the differences in comer/comerse, morir/morirse/suicidarse, and ir/irse.

I found “this one” = “éste” in the SD dictionary. I see how “lo” is more natural than “éste”.

@ Heidita

Thanks for the explanation about chicken, masculine, not being the “lo”. How silly of me to have forgotten that “lo, la” are for direct objects and “le” is for the indirect objects. But until I and other members get used to them, I hope we don’t get sent to the dunce corner!

Yes, you are using "me" just like it was a reflexive use (eg, ducharse- me ducho, voy a ducharme)- except that it is used to change the shade of meaning of the verb, not reflect back on you exactly. - Stadt, Jan 17, 2012

Answer 2

I think ¨this one¨ could also mean ¨it¨ the little chicken. Because ¨pollito¨ is masculine the pronoun is ¨lo¨? And it is the indirect object?

No, it is the direct object.

comerse algo, to eat something

I think the ¨I¨ in ¨I could¨ is the ¨me¨?

No, we do not use subject pronouns, so it would be:

Yo no podría comérmelo.

I would be yo

we would rather use comerme than comer as it is you who would eat if all...sorta, difficult to explain.

Voy a comerme esta sopa. I am going to eat the soup, all of it.

Voy a comer sopa. Today I am going to eat soup.

Answer 3

Okay, several comments I would make on this one (and keep in mind as a low intermediate I could be proven wrong).

Comerse vs. comer. Not all verbs that get associated with a “reflexive” pronoun have it to indicate reflexive action. Comerse does not mean to eat oneself- instead it intensifies the action- to mean eat up or devour. Similarly I believe morirse indicates passed away, and softens the act versus morir (and not that you killed yourself- suicidarse). And irse changes ir from focus on a destination to focus on the act of leaving.

Lo- I think in Spanish it is less natural to use this or that when you do not have to specify, so if it is clear, I think the natural tendency is to go with “lo”- technically “it” put presumably more natural than “éste”. One advantage you have with Cogumela is that instead of doing a word for word translation, she is giving you the way a Spaniard would naturally express the concept as whole. I think that is far more valuable to learn.

As you are aware, I am learning too, so anything I said has to potential to be a misinterpretation on my part.