Sobre olvidarse.

Question

Oye,Susana, no se te olvide traerme el libro mañana.

No, no vino Felipe, porque se te olvidó llamarlo por teléfono.

Here are two examples from my book, without context.

I am confused with those two, I think the first one isimperativo negativo, means Listen Susana, don´t forget to bring me the book tomorrow.Can I say No se olvide directly without te?

The second means Felipe didn´t come, because he forgot to call by phone? olvidó is third person singular past tense, the action is made by Felipe, but why it´s SE TE OLVIDÓ here? Why te here? Why the first is se te olvide, why the second is se te olvidó? Why both use TE?

Answer 1

I think you'll find it's a case of the 'no fault' se - for example you can either say:

olvidó la cartera - he forgot the wallet

or

se te olvidó la cartera - (it wasn't his fault but) he forgot the wallet

Lit. The wallet was forgotten to him - it shifts the blame

So for your example:

no se te olvide traerme el libro mañana.

Don't forget .... or literally Don't let it be forgotten to you to bring me the book tomorrow.

and

porque se te olvidó llamarlo por teléfono.

Because you forgot to call him. or literally because it was forgotten to you to call him.

This kind of construction is favoured because It doesn't sound quite so mean or accusatory, je je

I agree with Kiwi the "se" is the non blame placing "se". Used all the time in Mexico. - gringojrf, Jun 19, 2012

Answer 2

Oye,Susana, no se te olvide traerme el libro mañana.

Hmmm...I think you're right here. I'd say, "No olvides traerme....."

No, no vino Felipe, porque se te olvidó llamarlo por teléfono.

This one looks correct.

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Here's what Spanish.about.com says about "olvidarse."

Question: Se me olvidó el tomate.?

Answer:

Some verbs in Spanish can be used reflexively, but they don't have to be......the best translation would be "I forgot the tomato," with the use of the reflexive verb here indicating that the forgetting was accidental rather than intentional. This way of using olvidar reflexively is fairly common but obviously foreign-sounding for the English speaker.

Muchas gracias. - zhmelissa, Jun 19, 2012

I am finding foreign-sounding for the english speaker subsides with exposure to the language, as the advise given here pointed out. It is a slow process but has times of resurgence when Marianas advise of thinking like a spanish speaker does makes sense. - HowardO, Jun 19, 2012