Pruébeselo

Question

¿No tienen ustedes otros del mismo modelo , pero de color oscuro?

Espere,voy a sacar del mostrador ésos otros. Mire usted este par gris oscuro. Pruebeselo. Es tan bonito como el blanco, de tacón un poco más alto.Claro, es algo más caro que el otro.El color me gusta, pero prefiero uno de tacón menos alto que ése.Entonces,pruébese ese otro. Son zapatos muy cómodos.

Why´s pruébeselo here? the infinitive of try is probar. O turn into ue, modo imperativo, probar, A turn into E, as for usted, but why there´s SE here? Why not only prúebelo?

Why the second is pruébese?

Answer 1

The se is here because the actual verb is the reflexive verb probarse, which means to try (something) on. So the command form (mandato/imperativo) needs to put the "se" at the end of the verb, but before the "it". So pruébeselo means try it on that is, try on (wear) the dark gray colored object, whatever they are referring to.

If pruébelo was used, it would mean "to try it" or "to taste it" but that verb is the regular, non-reflexive verb probar.

The second pruébese lacks the final lo because the object is indicated by ese otro instead of being implied by "it" or lo. Given that the next sentence contains ". . . zapatos . . .",I assume that the unknown object being referred to by pruébeselo are shoes. Which makes sense because when one wears shoes or clothes it indicates a reflexive action and takes a reflexive verb, which is probarse.

Muchas gracias. - zhmelissa, Feb 8, 2012

Ditto. - mtmonadnock, Feb 8, 2012

Good answer. - MLucie, Feb 8, 2012

Answer 2

I hope you get a good answer to this. The closest I could come is "pruebes."

Pruebes is used in the negative imperative for tü: no pruebes (from 501 Spanish Verbs). But this is different from pruebese.

Buena suerte.

Frank

Gracias. - zhmelissa, Feb 8, 2012