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Lesson Introduction

Today in the big podcast, we're calling our sister! Learn how to ask for someone and ask for information over the phone in Spanish.

Comments (31) RSS

Avatar Team
jpvillanueva says

Pregunta del día:

¿Te llevas bien con tus cuñados y suegros?

Yo sí, el novio de mi hermanita y su familia son todos muy simpáticos.

November 4, 2008 from the Web.
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stevestr says

Equipo Spanishpod
Muchísimas gracias por la lección.  Ahora estoy listo para una llamada de Colombia.  Y me llevo muy bien con la familia de mi novia.

November 4, 2008 from the Web.
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srcarlos says

Jotapito! ¿Cuándo se puede usar "le/les" como complemento directo como hicieron en el diálogo hoy?  ¿Es verdad que en España se usa "le" en vez de "lo/la" si refiere a una persona?

November 5, 2008 from the Web.
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anna8 says

Es interesante, en el diálogo hablado, los hombres no dicen "adiós" pero en la versión escrita, el uno dice: Ok, hasta luego, y el otro responde: Adiós.

Lo de decir "adiós" mi cuesta mucho cuando estoy hablando español.  No importa que le diga yo, mi amig@ siempre mi da una respuesta a cual, por cortesía, me siento obligada a responder .  A veces la despedida parece interminable --¡vaya cultura educada!  :-) 

November 5, 2008 from the Web.
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stevestr says

Srcarlos

You are correct, in Spanish (especial in Spain) “le” can be used instead of lo.  See Leísmo.  Wikipedia says that “le” is used as a substitute for "lo" more often the for “la”.  It seems to me that I have heard “le” used as a direct object pronoun for both male and female objects.  Anyone else?

In the sentace from this dialog, ¿Le digo que te llame o le llamas tú más tarde?, “Think that only “le” could be used.  I think that “que te llame o le llamas tú más tarde” is the direct object and that her (“le”) is the indirect object, but I am not sure and would love some input.

 

November 5, 2008 from the Web.
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kikuyu says

 

hola esta frase: ¿Le digo que te llame o le llamas tu mas tarde? es traducida en la PDF como:

She’ll be back in two hours. Shall I tell her you called? Or will you call her back later?

 ¿"Le digo que te llame"?  ¿no quiere decir: shall  I tell her to call you? en vez de "shall I tell her you called"?

Gracias

 

 

November 5, 2008 from the Web.
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stevestr says

kikuyu

I agree with you.

November 5, 2008 from the Web.
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kikuyu says

Stevestrv, gracias.

 

November 5, 2008 from the Web.
Avatar Team
estibalitz says

kikuyu and stevestrv, you're right with the translation, sorry, we've have already fixed it.

Yes, Leísmo is a very common mistake all over Spain.

November 5, 2008 from the Web.
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stevestr says

Esti

Can I ask you, is "le" uses instead of both direct object pronouns "lo" and "la" in Spain or just "lo"?

Thanks

November 5, 2008 from the Web.
Avatar Team
estibalitz says

stevestrv, the "le" is used instead of both "la" and "lo".

November 5, 2008 from the Web.
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stevestr says

Esti

Thank you

November 6, 2008 from the Web.
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memo0316 says

Sometimes when to use le and lo confuses me.  I know the basic rules

Direct Object Lo/La  = answers the question "What"

Indirect Le = Answers the question to whom or for whom.

But I remember an exercise where two people were talking about the cause of an accident.  One person said they crashed because of a problem with the acclerator pedal.  The other person then asked

Que "le" paso.

I thought it should have been "lo" but the instructor advised it should clearly be "le".  I never understood (and still don't) understand why it's not "lo"

Esti - Jp any thoughts

November 6, 2008 from the Web.
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stevestr says

memo0316

I get confused by that also.  It is like le gusta.  It seems to me that the direct object should be used.

November 6, 2008 from the Web.
Avatar Team
jpvillanueva says

memo0316 and stevestrv, pasar has many senses, but when it means 'to happen' or 'to occur,' it is intransitive.  That is to say, it does not take a direct object.  In other words, you can't 'happen' something, the same way you can 'hit' something or 'tickle' something. 

When it comes to whether a verb is transitive or intransitive, the verb argument assignment seems to be lexical... which is a fancy way of saying that every language gets to decide which verbs are transitive and which are intransitive.  There's not really a logic to it, you just have to learn which pronouns and prepositions go with which verbs. 

So 'pasar' is going to take indirect pronouns (le, les) when it means "to happen."

Hope that helps!

November 6, 2008 from the Web.
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mztish says

hola todos

Si! me llevo muy bien con la familia de mi esposo...

November 6, 2008 from the Web.
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kikuyu says

memo316, I'm glad you asked that question!

J.P., thanks for the explanation:)

November 6, 2008 from the Web.
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srcarlos says

Thanks to all for the great comments. 

November 7, 2008 from the Web.
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stevestr says

Jp

Thank you.  You also say "le gusta" is gustar also an intransitive verb?

November 7, 2008 from the Web.
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docmolly says

JP... that intransitive/transitive explanation cleared a lot of things up for me! Thanks. 

Con respecto a "le" vs "la" en la oración, "....o le/la llames tú más tarde," creo que ambos son correctos. En este caso la persona a quien llamas es el objeto directo, y llamar es un verbo transitivo. Tomé nota que Lili usó "la" en la discussión.

Y sí, me llevo bien con mis cuñados y suegros! Gracias a díos!

November 7, 2008 from the Web.
Avatar Team
jpvillanueva says

stevestrv, gustar, when used in the sense of "to give pleasure to," is indeed intransitive.  It always has an indirect object pronoun. 

I have a "gustar" lesson somewhere in me... I'm not sure if it's going to be a PQS or a LC, but we'll do it one of these days.  :)

November 7, 2008 from the Web.
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stevestr says

JP thank you

November 7, 2008 from the Web.
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rmiller22 says

Me gusta que se puede llamar a sus suegros por sus titulos en espanol.  Eso evita la decision a veces incomoda en ingles de llamar a sus suegros "mom and dad."  Ya tengo una "mom" y quiero mucho a mi suegra, pero nunca me siento comoda llamarla "mom."  Tal vez la llamo "suegra." :)

November 8, 2008 from the Web.
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paulag says

Mi llevo bien con mi suegra.  No hay una cunada! La familia de mi esposo es pequeno, no?

 

November 9, 2008 from the Web.
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kikuyu says

según el ejemplo en la sección expansion:  

volverá dentro de dos horas = I'll be back in two hours.

Entonces para decir: I'll be back within two hours debes decir "volvera en menos de dos horas"?

November 10, 2008 from the Web.
Avatar Team
estibalitz says

kikuyu, puedes decirlo como bien has dicho tú en menos de o también puedes decir dentro de 2 horas.

November 10, 2008 from the Web.
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kikuyu says

Esti, muchas gracias.  

November 10, 2008 from the Web.
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milonga19 says

Hello, thank you for the great lesson! I have a question. The brother-in-law asks Y Ustedes? Why doesn't he use Vosotros instead? because looks like they are close. They say tu to each other. Thank you

November 14, 2009 from the Web.
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donperigo says

milonga19

Perhaps the brother in law is not from spain. vosotros never made it over to the colonies.

November 14, 2009 from the Web.
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cdowis says

What would be the different ways to ask to speak with someone. For example,

"Quisiera decir con mí hermana"

May 20, 2010 from the Web.
donperigo says

check this lesson out and this one

Decir doesnt sound right to me. it usually maps to to say/to tell. perhaps "quisiera hablar con mi hermana".

May 22, 2010 from the Web.

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