Necesito que me ayude

Question

Hola a todo el mundo!

Me gustaría mucho si puedan ayudarme comprender una oración de español.

Se me ha olvidado preguntarte: ¿Cómo te va con tu nuevo trabajo? = I forgot to ask you: How is your new job going?

Is the English translation on the Spanish sentence correct?

I don't think the 1st part of it is, but maybe I need to review pronoun usage.

My translation of the Spanish sentence would be...You forgot(have forgotten) to ask me. And isn't that the total opposite of...I forgot to ask you! lol

If someone has the time to explain the use of each pronoun in the 1st pat if the Spanish sentence, I would be extremely grateful!!

Many thanks

olvidarse behaves like this, see rogspax answer. - annierats, Mar 8, 2013

Hi, annie. Yep, rogs post was very helpful! - Ventana_al_mundo, Mar 9, 2013

Answer 1

Hi,

I think the real problem is you may not be familiar with constructions like ¨se me olvidó¨, which your sentence is just a past-tense form of. They seem kind of backwards at first, and are even more confusing if you don´t know the construction and don´t know all the personal pronouns well yet. Too many unknowns to decipher.

It is a sort of passive voice construction, a bit like ¨it was forgotten (by me)¨ that Spanish speakers use very often uses for what grammar books call ¨accidental or unplanned events¨ It is sort of a way of making something sound less like your responsibility or fault.

Note, Kids love this and use it, a LoT!

Se me cayó el vaso. I didn´t drop the glass, it fell from my hands.

Se me olvidó la cita. I didn´t forget the appointment, it was just forgotten.

Se me perdieron las llaves. I didn´t lose the keys, they were lost.

etc etc etc

So, back to yours ¨se me ha olvidado preguntarte¨

It has been forgotten to ask you (rather than the more direct, I have forgotten or I forgot, to ask you)

Hope that helps.

Here are some links if you want to know more.

1

2

3

You hit the nail on the head, rogs, thanks. I will check out the relevant links you provided. I'm sure they will be a great help! - Ventana_al_mundo, Mar 9, 2013

Answer 2

Se me ha olvidado preguntarte: ¿Cómo te va con tu nuevo trabajo? = I forgot to ask you: How is your new job going?

Your translation is the right idea but to be more precise, it is "I have forgotten to ask you; how is it going (for you) with your new job."

Me gustaría mucho si puedan ayudarme comprender una oración de español.

........ pudieran ayudarme a compreder .......... or more simple ......... si me ayudaran a comprender ..............

Re a more precise translation, please see my comment on kirk's post.....would the future tense or the imperfect subjunctive be most common for the type of Spanish sentence that you do kindly corrected for me? - Ventana_al_mundo, Mar 9, 2013

Answer 3

You are fluent in English and a beginner in Spanish so you recognize that the English translation is normal English useage, except for perhaps the punctuation and capitalization and I believe it is an accurate translation of the Spanish.

I agree. - annierats, Mar 8, 2013

The sentence was taken verbatim, including punctuation & capitalization, from an android app i have stated using. Thanks for your response :) - Ventana_al_mundo, Mar 9, 2013