subir(se) a = getting on a vehicle?
Could somebody please explain how to properly use this verb. I am having a lot of trouble with it and after a lot of searching I can't find an answer to me question. Why is it reflexive and how would one use it in every day conversation? Thanks in advance!
2 Answers
It is reflexive because that is what the Spanish Gods decided in order to torture your puny, fragile, mortal brain.
Jokes aside, many verbs are reflexive for apparently no reason whatsoever. Subir is widely used to mean 'go up/climb', but 'climb oneself' and 'go up oneself' simply don't make sense! Depending on how much you are willing to force yourself to believe things, subirse is either an emphatically reflexive verb (the usage of the reflexive se turns the weak 'subir', to climb into the strong subirse, to climb right into) or an intrinsically pronominal verb (which basically means the Spanish Gods are toying with your life).
You would use it in everyday conversation much like you use 'get into' and sometimes 'ride'.
puedo subirme a la montaña rusa de nuevo después de 10 años de andar mirando a otros.
I can ride rollercoasters again after 10 years of watching others do so.
decidí volver a subirme para aprender cómo me siento controlando mis temores
I decided to ride (something) again in order to learn how it feels, controlling my fears.
Me toca subirme
My turn to drive/ride
siempre he querido subirme a un coche como éste
I've always wanted to get into/ride a car like this
Me subo al coche de mis sueños
I'm riding the car of my dreams.
There are probably thousands of other things you can say, bolstered and limited by your imagination only. Even:
¿Estás seguro que quieres subirte a mi hovercraft? Es que esta lleno de anguilas.
You might want to read the SD entry in depth as well, since it discusses the verb in quite a lot of detail (the second entry is more informative although the formatting is atrocious).
Try this from the conjugate function above.
Click the above and scoll down for subirse.
