Me vs Yo when refering to yourself (I)

Question

Can someone explain when to use "me" and when to use "yo"? For instance why is it "me acuesto"? Why not "Yo acuesto"? Help please.

Answer 1

You could say:

Yo me acuesto, but the yo is unnecessary in Spanish because the verb is conjugated for 1st person singular - yo. When pronouns can be omitted they usually are.

The verb here is acostarse...it is a reflexive verb.

It is a lot like the old English prayer:

Now I lay me down to sleep. This is reflexive English because of the me. In modern English we would say I lay myself down to sleep.

Me acuesto is reflexive Spanish because of the me.

The Yo, which is absent, but implied/understood is the subject of the sentence, the me which represents "me or myself" in English is the direct object - the thing that is being laid down.

? - Theroarx3575, Oct 12, 2017

Ok thanks - Theroarx3575, Oct 12, 2017

Not being religious, I never would have thought of this, but it´s an excellent explanation in English. Bien hecho, mi compa que fuiste - 005faa61, Oct 12, 2017

Answer 2

The simple answer:

Yo = English "i"

Me = English "me" or "myself"

Yo me acuesto. I lay myself down to sleep.