Le gusta, Quiero verlo, Como se llama - Problems with pronouns??

Question

I'm trying to understand this...

If I want to say "te gusta" in the usted form it's "le gusta" ?

If I want to say "quiero verte" in the usted form it's "quiero verlo" ?

And "como te llamas" in the usted form is "como se llama". It uses se because it's reflexive?

Can anyone explain these differences?

Thank you

Please complete your profile. Look under menu for grammar. In the grammar page look for pronouns and read the tutorials. - 00551866, Jan 27, 2015

Please fill out your profile so that we may better help you . Bienvenido al foro , buena suerte amiga. - ray76, Jan 27, 2015

Answer 1

Quiero verla. Also.

I am not very good with grammar but it depends on direct or indirect object. The grammar tutorials will explain it.

Answer 2

Here is the shortest summary of pronouns that I can find. I learned pronouns using a workbook that had some 12 chapters on pronouns. No one is going to be able to summarize it for you in just a few words. 3, 4, and 10 are the sections to look at in this link specifically related to your examples.

http://users.ipfw.edu/jehle/courses/PRONOUN1.HTM

Answer 3

I think you've got it, but these still cause me problems too, particularly 'gustar'.

Although 'gustar' is used to express the English idea of 'to like', it literally means 'to please'. Thus I initially assumed that if you would wish to use a subject noun it would follow the verb, but apparently not. It seems to precede its partner subject pronoun and the verb, with the object noun following the verb, therefore the order is the same as in English, albeit the 'actor' doing the verb comes last. Which is a bit weird. I've struggled with this too, but hope I've got it. Please someone explain if I'm wrong:

• A mi madre le gustan regalos = My mother likes gifts (lit. To my mother, to her please gifts).

A mi madre. This "a" corresponds to your "to" in the English sentence. Other than that it's perfect, le agrees with the mother, gustan agrees with the gifts just like it should be. - Manity, Jan 27, 2015

Gracias :-) - Faldaesque, Jan 27, 2015

Answer 4

Yes, it's le gusta? for formal use. It means it pleases you? When dealing with gustar, and I am self taught and find it easier to think like this - read the conjugated form of gustar first when you come across it to translate or when you want to use it - because it's what I call a back to front verb (!) and you have to place the definition of the conjugated gustar verb at the beginning of the English translation then comes the translation of the pronoun. So les gusta is it pleases them.

Quiero verte is right. Formal is Quiero ver a usted. Lo means it so Quiero verlo means I want to see it.

Llamarse means to call oneself. It's reflexive so Me llamo Charlie is literally, I call myself Charlie. Como te llamas is What do you call yourself and Como se llama is What do you call yourself Formal. Or what does he or she call himself/herself.

Hope this helps

Can't you say 'queiro verle' as well ? - Faldaesque, Jan 27, 2015

Absolutely but as this could be construed as you formal or him or her, I would clarify by adding a usted or a él or a ella. - charlottepryce, Jan 28, 2015