Is my Spanish grammar book wrong or .......

Question

Is my Spanish grammar book wrong or is Michel Thomas wrong?

In my Spanish grammar book it says that "where an infinitive or gerund follows another verb, you can put the pronoun either at the end of the infinitive or gerund, or before the other verb", well I'm ok with that, but it then gives the following example of the use of pronouns. "I want to tell you something" = "Quiero decirte algo" or "Te quiero decir algo". In the Michel Thomas course he says that you cannot say in Spanish "Te quiero........." unless you really mean "I love you". Is the book correct, or is Michel Thomas correct ? The book is from a reputable publisher and endorsed by the Open University.

Answer 1

You can certainly say, "Te quiero decir algo." I want to tell you something.

You're "right", you can say it and any native will understain you, but actually, it's very very uncomun "Te quiero decir algo", and also it sounds very weird. Maybe that is the reason why he said that it's wrong.

So as a native, i seriosly recoment you to say: "Quiero decirte algo".

So, he really is right? Is "te quiero decir algo" not common because of the connotation of "te quiero"? - kdrinning, Mar 17, 2012

No. It's not because of it. But If you are going to say to girl/boy "Te quiero" (only) it must in earnest. You can say, per example, "Quiero darte algo" instead of "Te quiero dar algo", both sentences are corrects, but the first one is the cultured one. - -cae-, Mar 18, 2012

I say "Quiero decirte algo" because it sounds better, but there's no fear of "I love you" in the other way around. - --Mariana--, Mar 18, 2012

Answer 2

Thanks for the replies. This is what he says.

"In English you can say, I want you to write to me. Or you can say what you want me to do, I want you to do, I want him to do, whatever. Whereas in Spanish, you cannot, I repeat you cannot literally say I want you to write to me, if you say I want you, they are very literal about it, immediately, if you say quiero, I want you, or te quiero in Spanish means, really, I want you or I love you, they don't make a distinction between I want you and I love you in Spanish. So they will say te quiero which means I love you. I want you to write to me, has to be in Spanish, I want that you write to me. What do you want me to do is, has to be in Spanish, not what err, what do you want me? but what do you want that I do, that he do, that we do, and so on. After want that, automatically the command tense which is easy for you now.... "

Maybe I've misunderstood what he means, but I always avoid the use of "te quiero" for fear that I may be misunderstood.

I'm sorry but that explanation is wrong. Actually, we differentiate "I want you" ("Te quiero") and "I love you" (Te amo), we are not literal. - -cae-, Mar 18, 2012

If you begin a sentence with "Te quiero" + VERB + COMPLEMENT noone is going to think you are in love with him. Be sure. lol - -cae-, Mar 18, 2012

Answer 3

Great question.

As Inkuzz says: he's wrong in this case. He's only talking about the short sentence, "Te quiero," but not when it's followed by more information.

You can certainly say, "Te quiero decir algo." I want to tell you something.

Answer 4

Michel Thomas was a polyglot, but he was also wrong.

Welcome to the forum! - --Mariana--, Mar 17, 2012