Personal Pronouns - OI

Question

¡Hola todos!

Necesito ayuda otra vez. Encontré un ejercicio con los pronombres personales. No puedo entender estas respuestas:

1. ¿Le importa pasarme la sal? ¡No faltaba más! Ahora mismo se la paso. - una respuesta desde clave de libro

Respuesta mia, por ejemplo: Tenla. o te la paso.

1. ¿Les importa explicarme qué está pasando? No, claro. Ahora mismo, se lo explicamos. - una respuesta desde clave de libro

Mi idea: te lo explicamos.

I just can't get the difference in the pronouns. Why do the pronouns refer to 3rd person singular (his/her; him/her) not 2nd (you)? Could you please make it more clearly?

¡Muchas gracias! Joan

dios haidarmeeee.... - madona, Apr 19, 2012

Answer 1

The responses in the examples you gave are for Ud, or a formal form of "you" in Spanish. The Ud form is conjugated the same way as 3rd person singular, like él or ella.

The Spanish conjugation verb chart is as follows:

• 1st person singular= yo
• 1st person plural= nosotros
• 2nd person singular= tú
• 2nd person plural= vosotros
• 3rd person singular= él/ella/Ud.
• 3rd person plural= ellos/ellas/Uds.

That is why it may seem confusing. This person is referring to "you" in a formal way, so they are using Ud. and therefore "se" and "le."

2nd person is correct as well since that is the informal "you" form. But since there are two ways to say you in Spanish (tú and usted), it can be said both ways. But perhaps your teacher (if this is a school assignment) wanted you to practice the Ud. form and therefore marked your answers using "tú" as incorrect.

Wow, fantastico! Thank you so much! I do understand now the concept. I seem to have known about it from the very beginning, But kinda escaped me. Gee, you're very clear. Muchas gracias! - joans, Apr 19, 2012

Glad to help you! :) - missy8888, Apr 23, 2012