Sonríe hoy que mañana ==>te

Question

"Sonríe hoy que mañana te puede faltar un diente"

Why 'te' instead of 'tú'? 'te' is the subject in this sentence, isn't it, hence tú?

Excuse me, Hein, but I am sure this is a duplicate post! If I am not greatly msitaken,I think I remember seeing this exact question before recently and it was answered by several people! Why are you posting it again?! - FELIZ77, Dec 11, 2015

I recognize it by the ending: te puede faltar un diente" - FELIZ77, Dec 11, 2015

self-correction: mistaken (typo) - FELIZ77, Dec 11, 2015

Answer 1

The tack on version seems to have disappeared, perhaps before the questioner could see it, so I think it is fair to answer it.

"Sonríe hoy que mañana te puede faltar un diente"

Why 'te' instead of 'tú'? 'te' is the subject in this sentence, isn't it, hence tú?

Faltar functions like gustar, when compared to the English equivalent most commonly used the subject/object positions are reversed.

Faltar= is lacking for rather than lacks

"Sonríe hoy que mañana te puede faltar un diente"

Smile today because tomorrow (for you) (can be lacking/missing) a tooth

In good English- Smile today because tomorrow you might be missing a tooth.

In the Spanish the tooth is missing on you (rather than you missing a tooth). The tooth is the subject, you are the indirect object. So it is te.

Excellent explanation, Bosque. - annierats, Dec 11, 2015

Thanks, Annie. :) - bosquederoble, Dec 11, 2015

:) - gringojrf, Dec 11, 2015

I agree, great work Bosque :) - FELIZ77, Dec 11, 2015

Muchas gracias! - HeinLatijn, Dec 12, 2015

De nada. :) - bosquederoble, Dec 12, 2015