Refelxive Pronouns for Emphasis

Question

I have a quick question. Can reflexive verbs in Spanish be used to emphasize the action? Like in English, I myself knew what the answer was. Can you them in Spanish asimismo? Like, Me sabía la respuesta? Or would it be, "Yo mismo sabía la respuesta"?

"I myself knew" is not reflexive. Reflexive means the verb's subject and object are the same. You knew the answer. You are not the equivalent to "answer". - pesta, Jan 31, 2012

Answer 1

great question!

Yes, reflexive pronouns can definitely be used for emphasis: "Cómetelo todo!" - Eat it all up! "Me lo aprendí antes del examen" - I learned the whole thing before the test. "Me lo sé bien" - "I really know it well".

I am interested in reading other examples that people provide.

(Maybe some of this usage is not considered to be "correct Spanish", but it is commonly used, at least in some regions.)

thank you for help! - Himself12794, Jan 31, 2012

Answer 2

I myself knew what the answer was.

For the Spanish, see MountainGirl's response. however, for what it's worth, in English when used, as in your example, it is called an intensive pronoun (which just happens to look exactly like the reflexive pronoun). It is the use in a reflexive construction that makes the pronoun reflexive, not the presence of the suffix "self".

uh-huh... thanks! - Himself12794, Jan 31, 2012