"tratar" & "tratarse" meaning "to be about"

Question

While I think I grasp the difference I want to review this issue just to be sure.

The dictionary (SpanDict ) lists some examples of "tratar" and "tratarse" both meaning "to be about." At first I was confused. It wasn't clear whether they were both acceptable anytime one wants to say "to be about" or whether each was only appropriate in certain circumstances. Below are the examples provided:

No se trata de dinero. It's not about the money.

¿De qué trata el documental? What's the documentary about.?

¿De qué se trata? What's it about?

La película trata de un adolescente en Nueva York. The film is about a teenager in NY.

Se trata de la nueva piscina. It's about the new pool.

When I first looked at these examples I couldn't understand why tratar was used in one example and tratarse in another. Why not "la película se trata de un adolescente en NY"?

As I looked closer a pattern emerged. If, for example, the sentence states the thing that sth is about (eg, la película) then you don't use tratarse. So, what if I ask "what is the documentary about?" And the answer is "it's about a teenager in NY"? Would that be different that saying "the documentary is about...(rather than "its about")?

it is not about money. No "the" in there. Right? - chileno, Sep 29, 2015

If you are discussing a specific situation, yes, the "the" is ok. I'm suing the doctor for malpractrice so that he won't hurt others the way he hurt me; it's not about the money - malbecblend, Sep 29, 2015

I don't want to confuse you Chileno. The "the" in the example I gave you is optional. - malbecblend, Sep 29, 2015

Answer 1

"Se trata de" goes always in impersonal sentences. This means; in sentences that have not subject. Take note that always goes in the 3th singular person.

Se trata de un adolescente en Nueva york/varios adolescentes en .......

There is not exist a subject.

"Tratar de" it is used in sentences that have a subject.

La película trata de un adolescente en Nueva york. Las películaS trataN de un adolescente .......

Subject la película, las películas

Trata de un adolescente.... tratan de ..

Subject ella , ellas that are pronouns that replace the film , the films. And in spanish is better to omit them

The English, as orher many languages, needs allways a lexical subject. Is for this that, se trata de or trata de is translated with a subject "it" , "they" .

An advice I am not a grammar teacher and as you can see my English is very poor. I could be wrong especially in the referring to the English .

Your explanation makes sense to me. But then I'm a grammar idiot. But sense the dictionary lists tratarse as a pronomial verb and not a reflexive verb I think your answer is a clear explanation. - gringojrf, Sep 29, 2015

is a impersonal se not an reflexibe se. impersonal se. se trata de luis. reflexibe se. Luis se trata el pelo con esencia de camomila. - 000a35ff, Sep 29, 2015

Thank you txlis. - malbecblend, Sep 29, 2015

I'm not good at grammar but since the impersonal se is used when there is no subject and the reflexive se "reflects" back on the subject I would say they are different. - gringojrf, Sep 29, 2015