Do I use "yo" or "me" in this sentence?
I'm answering this question: ¿Traes tus libros a la escuela? and I don't know which "I" to use in the answer...
Would it be: "Si, yo traje mis libros a la escuela." or "Si, me traje mis libros a la escuela?"
5 Answers
jsidney6908:
What would you use in English: I or me?
In most cases, including this one, yo = I and me = me.
It is the difference between the subject pronoun and an object pronoun.
The person performing the action is the subject (yo or I)
The person receiving something from the action is an object (me or me)
In this sentence is anyone receiving something or is there just someone doing something?
Also, I most cases it is not necessary to use the subject pronoun in Spanish because the verb is conjugated so that it shows whether the subject is yo, tú, él/ella, nosotros, ellos or ustedes. (traje only fits with 1st person singular - the person speaking)
Hope this helps. We want to show you how to think and solve problems for yourself rather than just give you the answer.
P.S. It is incorrect to ask "which I" There is only one "I" The correct way to ask this is "which personal pronoun" should I use, "yo or me"
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I agree with jtaniel about using the present tense in your answer.
The question was "Do you bring your books to school" (is it something you normally do?)
The answer should be in the present tense - traigo. "Yes, I bring my books to school."
The question was not: "Did you bring your books to school" If that were the question then using "traje" (I brought) or "he traído" (I have brought) would be correct. I believe the latter (he traído) is more typical of Spanish from Spain, and the former (traje) is more typical of Spanish from Latin America and the United States.
Also note that both of us are telling you that using the subject pronoun is not necessary and in most cases it is not used in Spanish. (unlike English where the "I" is mandatory.)
Would it be: "Si, yo traje mis libros a la escuela." or
"Si, me traje mis libros a la escuela?"
I vote for: Neither.
¿Traes tus libros? is in the present tense. The response would therefore typically be in the present tense as well: Si, traigo mis libros.
Traje mis libros is in the preterite (past) tense.
No pronoun, neither yo nor me, is necessary, because traigo (like traje, for that matter) is in the first person. Only I, no one else, can "traigo."
However, if you were going to use a pronoun, it would be yo. See here.
Yo traje mis libros a la escuela is right.
Yo me traje mis libros a la escuela is right. ( a slight nuance )
Traje mis libros a la escuela is right.
Me traje mis libros a la escuela is right. (the same slight difference)
Los traje a la escuela.is right .
Me los traje a la escuela is right.
Yo los traje a la escuela is right.
Yo me los traje a la escuela is right.
hmmm, what I don't understand here is why everybody is using traer???
In Spain we would use "llevar".
¿Te llevas los libros a la escuela?
In any case, gekko is right.
The question is in present tense so the answer needs to be in present tense , too, obviously.
You can either say:
¿Te llevas los libros al cole? Sí, me los llevo.
or
¿Te traes los libros al cole? Sí, me los traigo.
In Spain we would use "llevar".
