Tú le pusiste el dedo en la boca.

Question

"Tú le pusiste el dedo en la boca."

Is this considered correct, or should there be possessive pronouns here?

I know that in Spanish, body parts are referred to with definite articles instead of possessive pronouns (e.g., "Me lavo las manos; luego te corto el cabello."), but when dealing with two people and body parts of both, it seems like possessive pronouns (tu dedo en su boca) would avert confusion.

So, to the point of my question ... Should I mark this as a grammatical error, if it is understood in the context of the conversation whose finger and whose mouth, or is it correct and understood sufficiently as it is?

El grano de mi pregunta ... ¿Debería yo marcar a esta frase como una falla gramática', o, si se entiende por el contexto de la conversación de quién el dedo y de quién la boca, ¿es correcto, y se entiende bien, así como es?

Gracias por su ayuda.

Answer 1

Thank you again Lazarus!

Answer 2

Thanks for the clarification, Lazarus.

I am constantly amazed at the finer details and specific questions, and the larger, more vague ones, that I can get clarified on this site. And who answers most of them? ...

Answer 3

In this case, yes, but it depends on the semantics of the verb. With a verb like "poner", which is often used with two objects, the direct one is what you put, and since you are more likely to use your fingers to put things than any other person's fingers, "el dedo" is enough. Whatever you put, will be put somewhere, and the indirect object can optionally indicate who will be affected by this action; if you say "le" or "te", you are indicating who will be affected by whatever you put, so "la boca" is the destination place, and "le" indicates whose mouth you are talking about.

Answer 4

You put your finger in her mouth = Le pusiste el dedo en la boca

You put her finger in her mouth = Le pusiste su dedo en la boca

You put her finger in your mouth = Te pusiste su dedo en la boca

OK, got it.

The only time the DO here needs a possessive pronoun is when it does not belong to the subject. (Otherwise it is understood to belong to the subject.) The object of the adverbial prepositional phrase is "connected" by the IO pronoun to the IO.

Are these correct observations'

Answer 5

You put your finger in her mouth = Le pusiste el dedo en la boca
You put her finger in her mouth = Le pusiste su dedo en la boca
You put her finger in your mouth = Te pusiste su dedo en la boca

Answer 6

"Tú le pusiste el dedo en la boca."

Is this considered correct, or should there be possessive pronouns here?

Possessive pronouns here would be unacceptable, since that that "le" provides all the "possessive" information that it is required: once you say "le", you couldn't use any possessive other than "his/her", so it should be avoided.

So which is the correct translation of that sentence:

You put her finger in her mouth.
You put her finger in your mouth.
You put your finger in her mouth.

And how do you say the other two in Spanish?

Thanks.

Answer 7

"Tú le pusiste el dedo en la boca."

Is this considered correct, or should there be possessive pronouns here?

Possessive pronouns here would be unacceptable, since that that "le" provides all the "possessive" information that it is required: once you say "le", you couldn't use any possessive other than "his/her", so it should be avoided.

If you are talking to a baby and want to say "Where are your eyes'", do you say "Dónde están tus ojitos" or "Dónde están los ojitos".

And to say "Your eyes are here." (and point to their eyes) would you say "Tu ojitos están aqui."? Or use the definite article?

You don't have an object pronoun in this sentence (like that "le" in the sentence above), so without a possessive, it wouldn't be clear whose eyes you're talking about.

As a rule of thumb, try to avoid possessive whenever the ownership relationship is clear (and unambiguous), and especially when an object pronoun has already established that relationship.

Answer 8

I'm curious about this too.

If you are talking to a baby and want to say "Where are your eyes'", do you say "Dónde están tus ojitos" or "Dónde están los ojitos".

And to say "Your eyes are here." (and point to their eyes) would you say "Tu ojitos están aqui."? Or use the definite article'

Answer 9

Is considered correct, or should there be possessive pronouns here?

I know that in Spanish, body parts are referred to with definite articles instead of possessive pronouns (e.g., "Me lavo las manos; luego te corto el cabello."), but when dealing with two people and body parts of both, it seems like possessive pronouns (tu dedo en su boca) would avert confusion.

So, to the point of my question ... Should I mark this as a grammatical error, if it is understood in the context of the conversation whose finger and whose mouth, or is it correct and understood sufficiently as it is?

El grano de mi pregunta ... ¿Debería yo marcar a esta frase como una falla gramática', o, si se entiende por el contexto de la conversación de quién el dedo y de quién la boca, ¿es correcto, y se entiende bien, así como es?

Gracias por su ayuda.

I think given the structure, you being the subject doing the action of the verb on the indirect object, it is understood that the finger belongs to you. However, if you are indicating a change in subject or ownership of the finger, it should be clarified.