When not to use direct object pronouns with reflexive verbs

Question

Would you please clarify when to use a direct object pronoun with a reflexive verb, and when the sentence does not require the direct object pronoun?

Example: "Yo no me puedo acordar de todos los verbos." "No puedo acordarme." Why not "acordarmelos" (Los for the direct object pronoun for "verbos" ) Another example: "Diana se prefiere quedar en un buen hotel." "Diana prefiere quedarse." Why not "quedarselo" (lo for the direct object for"hotel".

This question even has my Spanish teacher stumped!

Answer 1

Acordarse can't take an object, and usually requires the preposition de: acordarse de algo.

Quedarse can take an object, but it changes its meaning from stay to keep. Quedárselo = to keep it.

Example: ¿Quieres tu libro? ... No, quédatelo.

Giving you a general rule that applies to all verbs isn't possible, I'm afraid. At least not by me.

Answer 2

It might help if you think of verbs as pronominal rather than as 'reflexive' because 'reflexive' is just one possible action of pronominal verbs.

Your question really has more to do with a verb is transitive or not. Transitive verbs need a direct object to make sense but intransitive verbs can't accept a direct object.

Some verbs have both a transitive and intransitive form but the meaning may change.

Eg acordar when it's transitive means to decide or to agree to but when it's intransitive and as Raphael pointed out need the preposition 'de' it means to remember.

So you'd have to say ... no me puedo acordar de ellos. (ellos being 'them' - the verbs)

And with your second example, 'lo' is equivalent to 'it' - does it make sense to you to say - she prefers to stay 'it'? Perhaps 'allí' (there, in that place) would make more sense.

Answer 3

I need to study verb types myself. A link to get us started.

http://www.spanishdict.com/answers/7876/transitive-reflexive-pronominal-verbs-and-pronouns