What are the differences between comunicarse y comunicar?
No puedo comunicar con ellos. No puedo comunicarme con ellos.
What are the difference between them?? Do they mean the same?
4 Answers
The second one is correct. "Comunicar" is a reflexive verb, so you need the pronoun me "attached" to it. However, you can modify this structure and convey the same message, which leads to the correction on the first sentence: No me puedo comunicar con ellos. In that case, its the same sentence with the same meaning.
For further explanation: http://roble.pntic.mec.es/acid0002/index_archivos/Gramatica/verbo_reflexivo.htm
Perhaps you could think of comunicar as 'inform' or 'communciate something':
siento tener que comunicarle que … I regret to inform you that …
just like we sometimes use communicate in English to communicate a piece of information:
Hay que comunicar estas ideas claramente.
One must communicate these ideas clearly.
but 'comunicarse con' as communicating 'with someone' or speaking to them, rather than communicating 'something', also it can mean 'being in contact' with someone.
En cuanto sepan si pueden venir, nos lo comunicarán.
As soon as they know if they can come, they will inform us.
Si desea que me comunique con usted, favor de incluir su nombre.
If you'd like me to contact you ....
Hoy me comuniqué con mi mamá. Today I contacted/spoke with my Mum.
... and just as a little clarification I would refer to comunicarse as the pronominal form instead of the reflexive form. Pronominal verbs (those with se on the end) can sometimes be used reflexively but comunicarse is unlikely to be used in this way - where the one communicating is also the one receiving the communication.
Hokuten gave you a great explanation. The verb comunicar can be used without the reflexive forms in examples as the following:
El presidente comunicó al Senado su decisión de vetar la ley.
Los estudiantes comunican sus inquietudes a los profesores.
In both cases above, to communicate is being used as to express and it's not a reflexive action.
Los estudiantes comunican sus inquietudes a los profesores.
This sentence used comunicar,but not comunicarse. Is it because this structure is comunicar.......a........?
Can I say this?
Los estudiantes comunicanse sus inquietudes con los profesores.?????
Is this correct?
