These verbs and their reflexive forms?

Question

Imaginar

"No puedes imaginar cuánto he deseado que llegara este momento."

"No te puedes imaginar lo mal que iba todo."

Inventar

This site doesn't provide much examples for this word but the page I found seems to imply that the meaning is identical with using both "inventar" and "inventarse" (according to this page: http://www.spanishdict.com/translate/inventar).

I just want to know the difference between the reflexive and regular verb forms, if there is any.

http://www.spanishdict.com/answers/245131/what-are-the-differences-between-imaginar-y-imaginarse - bosquederoble, Sep 4, 2014

Thanks :) But what about inventar and inventarse? - Dsanders17, Sep 4, 2014

I don't have an answer for that (intermediate level learner)- sorry, you will have to wait for someone else on that. The best I could do was link the native speaker answer I had. :) - bosquederoble, Sep 4, 2014

What gringojrf said is very important. - Jubilado, Sep 4, 2014

Thanks Jubilado. I always worry when I venture into grammar because mine is lousy. - gringojrf, Sep 4, 2014

Answer 1

Don't confuse Pronomial and Reflexive verb forms. Reflexive verb forms are a small subset of pronomial verbs. Reflexive verbs require that the action of the verb reflects back onto the subject. Pronomial verbs have much broader usages. Sometimes, but not always, completely changing the meaning of the verb. For example: Ir vs Irse. But sometimes only providing emphasis. For example: Comer vs Comerse.

I am not a native speaker.

:) - annierats, Sep 4, 2014

Answer 2

¿Cuándo se inventó el teléfono? means "When was the telephone invented?"

¿Quién inventó el teléfono? means "Who invented the telephone?"

Do you see the difference between inventar and inventarse?

Basically the main difference here is that "inventar" means it was someone/something that did the inventing and "inventarse" essentially means to be invented. - Dsanders17, Sep 4, 2014

Yes, sometimes adding se to the third person gives it a passive voice meaning. It is difficult to explain in general that's why gave you the specific examples. - Jubilado, Sep 4, 2014

In addition the usage is not reflexive because the meaning does not imply that the telephone invented itself. Whereas lavarse is reflexive and means to wash oneself. - Jubilado, Sep 4, 2014