Elementary - Zipper

No sé por qué, pero a mí me pasa muy a menudo, que descubro que tengo la cremallera abierta.  Ahora cuando se trata de algo importante yo siempre verifico en el último momento que la lleve cerrada.  I don't know what my problem is, but it happens to me all the time; I find my zipper down.  Now whenever something important happns I always check my zipper at the last second. 

¿Y tú?  ¿Descubres abierta la cremallera muy a menudo?  What about you?  Do you often discover that your fly is open?

en inglaterra se dice

tienne yema en su barbilla
you have egg on your chin

la puerata esta abierta pero la bestia duerme.
the door is open but the beast is asleep

Another one in english, which wouldn't really work in spanish:

Estas voliendo sin una licencia.
(You are flying without a licence.)

Can a man use the expression se te va a escapar el pajarito to tell a woman that her barn door is open or is another expression used for girls/women?

Sé nada de ese tema, pero tal vez,
    
 - Psss . . . ¿eres esperando para el pájaro a volver?

y
después salir corriendo como alma que lleva el diablo.

Pues, me dicho como, "Maggie, your fly" es "Maggie, tu bragueta." ¿No?"

Would bragueta and bragas be related words perhaps?

a menudo discubro que mi cremallera esta abierta porque mis pantalones de trabajo son muy holgados entonces no es obvio.

 I often find my zipper is open because my work trousers are very baggy so it isnt obvious.

Cuando era pequeño tenia un grillito en mis calzones. entonces yo encontraba pinochio muy confuso.

when i was little i had a little cricket in my pants so i found pinocchio very confusing

JP, you say "Ahora cuando se trata de algo importante...".  What exactly does "trata" mean?

"Ahora cuando se trata de algo importante"

Now when it "is attempted/begins" ,the something important,

Por favor, Could you please explain "se te va"?

Also, I really appreciate those of you who put your comments in both Spanish and English. It is very helpful.

Gracias,

Deborah

deborahthompson

Escapar means to escape.  The reflexive, or pronominal form, escaparse also means to escape.  What is the diffenents?  The following, in red, came from a book called A new reference in Grammar of  Modern Spanish fourth edition by John Butt and Carmen Benjamin.

26.6.4 Escapar/escaparse
The pronominal form is the more usual.  The non-pronominal for is used only for figurative meanings: escapar con vida ‘to escape with one’s life’ escapar del peligro’ to escape danger’, escapar a la justicia ‘to escape justice’  escapar a la calle ‘to take to the street’.  But los prisioneros se escaparon ‘the prisoners escaped’ no me digas que otra vez se escaparon las pupilas (M. Vargas Llose, Pe., dialogue) ‘don’t tell me the girls at the convent have escaped again’

 So se va a escapar el pajarito.  Means “the little bird is going to escape”.
Te an object pronoun meaning to you or in this case from you
Final se te va a escapar el pajarito means “the little bird is going to escape from you”.

deborahthompson
Are you familiar with reflexive verbs?

BTW the difference between escaper and escaparse is new to me as well.  Thank you, your question caused me to learn something new.

deborahthompson & stevestrv,

 "se te va" a escapar el pajarito

 I think this is classified as an "unplanned occurrence"

in the example "va" is focused on pajarito, and not the person(tu)

it is a special construction

kikuyu deborahthompson Spanispod

kikuyu
I fell strongly that se va a escapar el pajarito means the little bird will escape.  Are you saying that the te does not mean in se te va a escapar el pajarito does not mean “from you” .  I could see that.  Maybe it is like it is going to escape and it is your bird (I am sorry) or it will effect you. The idea that te means that it is your bird makes a lot of sence.

deborahthompson Please keep an eye on this thread and I am sorry if I mislead you.

Spanispod team please help.

Cobre, thanks for the explaination :)

stevestrv,

I was relating to "se te va" construction as being similar to the "se me olvidó" construction.

But to tell you the truth, I'm not really sure about this.

I think it means:

se te va a escapar el pajarito= se referes to el pajarito, te= from you, va a escapar=(el pajarito) is going to escape

mztish,

 Thanks, we needed that.  Sorry if I made things confusing.

Mztish kikuyu Deborahthompson

Mztish
I total agree that se te va a escapar el pajarito means "the little bird is going to escape from you"..  But if the pajarito is part of your body I believe it would mean “your little bird is going to escape”.  Like se te rompió un abrazo means your arm broke.

kikuyu
I am sure that escaparse means to escape.  The text in red in my original comment came from an excellent grammar reference.

Deborahthompson
I am sorry if this is getting too complicated.  I am sure you were hoping for a simple answer.

Stevestrv, you've got a very good argument for "escaparse" 

I just ordered myself a copy of your grammar reference book.

Good question Deborahthompson!

¿Sabes qué, Stevestrv y Kikuyu? Acabo de conseguir el mismo libro.  Lo compré después de leer unos comentarios de Stevestrv y Docmolly a cerca de él, y hasta ahora, me quedo bastante impresionada. Otra vez, gracias Stevestrv.You know what, Stevestrv and Kikuyu?  I just got that very book.  I bought it after reading some of Stevestrv's and Docmolly's comments about it, and so far, I'm quite impressed. Once again, thanks Stevestrv.

Muchas gracias, mis amigos, for the helpful discussion around "se te va escapar."

I know about reflexive verbs, and sometimes the usage is very clear. Other times, however, like "se te va" are not so clear. I don't always understand the constructions and how/why/when to use them. I'm sure some of this will come when I have more experience in actual conversation.

The discussions are so very helpful and I appreciate all who joined in. 

No, I'm not confused, Stevstrv. Your explanations and comments are always helpful. It didn't occur to me that the verb might be "escaparse."

Without the discussions and explanations, I'll never get past "Newbie."

Adios, Ya'll

deborahthompson

I am glad that we were able to help you.  There are verbs in Spanish such as comer/comerse ir/irse olvidar/olvidarse which have reflexive and non reflexive forms where it is hard for us to understand what if reflexive about the reflexive forms.  The book I quote is my favorite Spanish reference book and one of the few which will give the different meaning of both forms with examples.  You can not use it as a text book but as a reference it’s hard to beat and it is on sale at Amazon for $20.00(at least in the US).

cobre, mgirll

en este caso "tratar" no significa "to try". "Tratarse de algo" significa "to be about something".

- Tengo que hablarte. (I need to talk to you.)

- De que se trata? (What's it about?)

- Se trata de algo importante. (It's about something important.)

My new grammar book is on its way! Gracias, Stevestrv.

Hasta luego

deboralhthompson kikuyu

 I sure hope you like it guys like the book.

fabrizio says

en este caso "tratar" no significa "to try". "Tratarse de algo" significa "to be about something".

- De que se trata? (What's it about?)

- Se trata de algo importante. (It's about something important.)

Ok, I am trying to get my head wrapped around that idea.

I went off looking for other examples, and came up with a few and in many cases "about" does seem a good translation.

se trata / tratarse ties to a noun or pronoun and sets up a relationship.  About is about a testing of qualities. It is a comparative test that selects qualities near the associated nomnitve. I think we are still on the try, test, playing field.

JP seems to have translated it as "happens" which lead me to think that a more literal version of attempt, try to fit, compare --- as action might fit.

FWIW here are the examples I dug up.

Cuando se trata de algo más que un estado de ánimo

Sentirse irritable o con temperamento fácil de exaltar pueden ser signos de depresión.

When It's More Than Just a Mood

Feeling irritable or short-tempered can be signs of depression.

........
Entonces, cuando se trata de algo que caracteriza a un sujeto que ni es persona, ni animal, sino que es algo abstracto o un objeto...

.........
Usamos "do" cuando se trata de algo que se considera trabajo:
To do work/homework
To do the shopping
To do the cooking

Usamos "make" que se trata de algo creativo:
To make a cake
To make a sweater (hacer un suéter)
To make a film

........
Cuando se trata de algo personal, el deporte es portada.

cobre & mgirll,

aquí hay unos ejemplos de los usos de "tratar" que me guardé de otra discusión aquí en Spanishpod:

- tratar algo o alguien= to look after, to take care of.

Trata mal a su perro. He looks after his dog badly.

Trátalo bien. Take care of it.

- tratar + de/sobre = to be about.

Trata de una chica que... It´s about a girls that...

La peli trata sobre una historia de amor. The movie is about a love history.

- tratarse + de = to be

Se trata de una chica muy problemática. She is a very problematic girl.

Se trata de una novela muy interesante.it is a very interesting book.

- tratar + de + infinitive verb = to try to

Trato de hacerlo bien. I'm trying to do it properly.

Está tratando de pintar. He is trying to paint.

Muchas gracias  a todos.

Sorry to have led you astray, mgirll.

Thank you so much for the explainations!!!  So many uses for this word.

Estoy tratando de pintar ahora :)

I am trying to paint now :)

interesting that you say tu pajarito/pescadito presumably this is one body part thats personal enough to warrant a posessive pronoun.

Sí, a veces mi cremallera está abierta, y yo no comprendo por qúe, jejeje. Verifico a menudo si está abierta o no cuando salgo de casa. ^^

Comprendo que se dice "pajarito" cuando se trata de personas masculinas, pero que se dice para una mujer?

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