Oh for goodness' sakes, what a pain in the neck! What a mess! What a hassle! In this lesson, we'll learn how to express a little bit of frustration and displeasure. Let's face it, we all have those moments when we need to let off a little steam! Oh for the love of Pete!
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Yardbird asked a good question I also had that nobdy responded to. Why is olvide used as opposed to me olvide, and how does one know when to use which?
Nathanwagar,
I copied and saved some examples that Estibalitz gave me way back when on the verb olvidar. Hope this helps answer your question:
1.-Olvidé tu regalo.
2.-Me olvidé de tu regalo.
3.-Se me olvidó tu regalo.
1.-Olvidó el almuerzo.
2.-Se olvidó del almuerzo.
3.-Se le olvidó el almuerzo.
1.-Olvidamos su cumpleaños.
2.-Nos olvidamos de su cumpleaños.
3.-Se nos olvidó su cumpleaños.
1.- OLVIDAR O.D. (emphasis on the direct object)
2.- O.I. OLVIDAR DE O.D. (emphasis on the indirect object)
3.- SE O.I. OLVIDAR O.D. (emphasis on the indirect object reflexive)
Lol I may sound retarded but it's still fuzzy to me. Can you give a more detailed description of the three types? I know that type 3 is like when you do something suddenly on accident, as in se me cayo la pluma, as opposed to on purpose: calli la pluma. I just am not sure about the diff between me olvide and olvide.
Kikuyu, could you post the translations? It's got my brain crossing wires trying to figure out the differences....correctly ;)
Nathanwagar & Jodibean,
Sorry for stirring things up!
As far as I know the examples just show different ways of saying the same thing. The emphasis is slightly different. I believe that they are pretty much interchangeable. Lets hope one of our experts reads this so that it can be verified.
I forgot your gift. olvidé tu regalo, me olvidé de tu regalo, se me olvidó tu regalo
He/She forgot lunch. olvidó el almuerzo, se olvidó del almuerzo, se le olvidó el almuerzo.
We forgot your birthday. olvidamos su cumpleaños, nos olvidamos de su cumpleaños, se nos olvidó su cumpleaños
Hey folks,
As said above, the different variations of "olvidar" have to do with emphatic stress (or focus, depending on what kind of linguist you're talking to).
Now listen, I don't want to discourage any of your great analysis, but I do want to tell you that when it comes to tiny things like this difference in emphasis, it's better if you something you pick up on the fly; the analysis doesn't really make sense until you already know it.
Trust me on this. Here's a belabored analogy: my driving teacher told us a thousand times to turn the wheel ALL THE WAY when parallel parking... but then when I was in the student driver car, I didn't do it, and so my angle was all messed up and I had to stop and try again. It wasn't until then that I REALLY understood that you had to turn the wheel ALL THE WAY. When he asked if I had been listening, I said something stupid like, "I heard you before, but I didn't really understand... until I already knew it."
Ok, back to the verb: discuss, analyze, but I forbid you all to get frustrated about it; nobody's going to test you over it, it's too subtle to confuse anyone, and it's one of those things where, one day, you'll realize you already know it. And then the analysis will make sense.
Kikuyu - Not at all. I think sometimes I know what it is, but my uncertainty only makes me second guess it (when I might have otherwise been right). So clarity is what you gave me.
JP - You're totally right. I am big on knowing and understanding why we do things, which usually makes remembering something a lot easier (when everything makes sense). I need to apply it to learning Spanish.
Thanks to you both :)
Okay....so they are interchangeable unless someone wants to nitpick at your grammar?
dear nathanwagar,
thanks for being so patient with us. This is kind of a tough translation question.
here's my final answer:
Again, this distinction is tiny, and native speakers won't expect this level of precision from you until you're very advanced; until then, they'll let it slide.
No sé porque todo es en negrita. Voy a ir "against the grain"...
Me parece que cada semana hay líos nuevos en mi trabajo. Impresos nuevos para rellenar. Reglas nuevas y locas que tenemos que seguir. Todo además de mucho, mucho impresos y reglas viejos! ¡Qué lío!
Que quiero decir:
I don't know why everything is in bold. I'm going to go against the grain...
It seems to me that each week there are new hassles at my work. New forms to fill out. Crazy new rules we have to follow. All in addition to many, many old forms and rules.
What a hassle!
¡ayyy!
¡La negrita no es voluntaria!
No me gusta cuando el invierno viene. El nieve no es un problema, pero todo el hielo y el aguanieve me hacen loco. ¡Qué lío! Vivo en el país malo (erróneo? equivocado?)
What's with all this writing in bold anyway?