Two pronouns used together - help!!!

Question

Sadly at the moment, I’m getting a little confused as to the use of two pronouns together (i.e. reflexive, indirect object and direct object pronouns) which is not helped by the fact that when two pronouns beginning in “l” are used together, the first “l” is changed to an “s”!!!

To this end, I have done a bit of research trying to find all the possible scenarios where two pronouns of the above types would come together and have come up with the following list –

1Indirect + direct object pronouns => simply when you have to use these two together E.g. Yo se lo digo

2Reflexive + direct object pronoun => to emphasize something E.g. Se lo comió todo

3Reflexive + direct object pronoun => simply when you need to put a direct object pronoun into a reflexive sentence E.g. El se lo sube

4Se + indirect object pronoun => when you want to say something was done accidentally E.g. Se me olvidaron los libros

5Se + indirect object pronoun => Used in the avoidance of the passive/to shift the emphasis in a sentence E.g. A Roberto y Ana se les vio en la calle

Could you please tell me whether I have listed all the main scenarios where these come up/is my list accurate (as sometimes when I read, I come across ones that seem not to follow my rules!).

Thanks!!

Answer 1

I went to an old grammar book and found this simple explanation. This does not take into account the reflexive verbs.

Substitution se for le or les. When both object pronouns are in the 3rd person, both begin with l (le los, le lo, les las, etc.); in such cases, for sake of euphony, the Indirect object le or les becomes se.

       El abogado se las explica. 
       Vamos a dárselo.

Así es, Jubilado. Saludos! - LuisCache, Apr 1, 2015

Answer 2

Usheen:

Could you please tell me whether I have listed all the main scenarios where these come up/is my list accurate (as sometimes when I read, I come across ones that seem not to follow my rules!).

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I can only think of one other somewhat distinct type at the moment. This is called "dative of interest." It isn't reflexive, but it's not "normal" either.

They cut my hair very short.

Me cortaron el pelo muy corto.

They cut it very short.

Me lo cortaron muy corto.

So, it's another case of IO - DO, but the verb is conjugated in 3rd person plural while the indirect object is 1st person singular which would not happen with reflexive.

You could also have Se + IOP in a passive se construction They sell pretty dresses there. Se venden vestidos bonitos allí.

They sell pretty dresses to people there. Se le venden vestidos boninto allí a gente.

Se le mandaron flores (a ella). Flowers were sent to her. (She was sent flowers)

Se les ofreció el trabajo (a ellos). The job was offered to them. (They were offered...)

No se me dijo eso (a mí).
That wasn't told to me. (I wasn't told that).

You might think that you have this one covered with your #5. However, your #5 is impersonal se while these examples are passive se.

By the way, your question may have been better if you had posted a few sentences that you referred to as "not following your rules." rather than asking a rather open-ended question about all the possible ways of using two pronouns together. That way you could get some guidance on something that you don't understand or might be confusing you.

Ciao, Ken

Answer 3

Hi Usheen,

I'll give it a try, hopefully someone with more experience will correct me if I get something wrong. In your examples:

• no se le ocurrió otra cosa al tío - ocurrirse + IO pronoun linked to "tío": no other thing occurred to him = the only thing that occurred to him was to...
• (a) Madrid ya se le han acabado las casas - acabarse + IO pronoun linked to "Madrid": I imagine this to mean that the last houses of Madrid remain behind (relative to where the speaker is standing)
• No se le resistiría ningún traficante - resistirse + IO pronoun linked to something mentioned previously: no dealer would resist him/her/it (more context here would be helpful)
• se le veían varias muelas - ver + passive "se" + IO pronoun linked to the person with the open mouth: one could see some of his/her molars
• se nos contagió - possibly contagiar + passive se + DO pronoun: we were infected (= crying was contagious)
• se le mete una cosa - meterse + IO pronoun linked to "el Imbécil": when something gets in his head = when he gets something in his head
• qué se le va a hacer - as far as I know this is a set phrase meaning "What can you do?" or "That's the way the cookie crumbles."
• a la (?) Luisa se le pase el enfado - pasarse + IO pronoun linked to Luisa: so that Luisa gets over her anger

Answer 4

Hi guys!

I've taken your advice and have done a bit of reading in my favourite Spanish books - "Manolito Gafotas" and have come up with a few examples of the type of two pronouns (in bold type) used together that are confusing me:

Él estaba a punto de echarse a llorar y yo de echarme a reír, hasta que no se le ocurrió otra cosa al tío cochino que escupirme en la cara.

Madrid ya se le han acabado las casas y empieza el suelo de tierra.

No se le resistiría ningún traficante del mundo.

Tenía la boca tan abierta que se le veían varias muelas empastadas.

A todos se nos contagió. Yo lloraba, el Imbécil lloraba y algunos de los viejos del coro también lloraban.

—Manolito y el nene te lo comprarán —dijo el Imbécil, que es terrible cuando se le mete una cosa en la cabeza.

Molaría que fuera al revés, pero qué se le va a hacer.

—Muy bien, y ahora que sois amigos otra vez: vamos a pensar qué hacemos para que a la Luisa se le pase el enfado.

Thanks in advance guys!!

Answer 5

Thanks guys for your help - duly noted about the examples!

:) - rac1, Mar 29, 2015