parecerse y verbos reflexivos

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walla  #16783  Sat, 17 Mar 07 08:24 PM
1) Is there such a verb as ¨parecerse¨ or ¨gustarse¨? I know that not all verbs have reflexive forms.

2) Is the literal translation of ¨se parece¨ = ¨it seems to itself¨? If so, why is the common usage of the phrase ¨it seems¨, or ¨it looks like¨? Is it just one of those reflexive verbs that changes meaning when you use it?

3) Is it proper to use ¨se parece que no puedo cantar¨ to mean ¨it seems that I can´t sing¨?

4) Is it proper to use ¨Se parece a Maria.¨ to mean ¨It looks like Maria.¨?

5) Is it proper to use ¨Se gusta¨ to mean ¨It is pleasing to itself¨ or ¨it is pleased¨?  Can I use ¨Me gusto¨ to say ¨I like myself¨ or ¨I am pleasing to myself¨ or ¨I am pleased¨?


Gracias a todos!


  
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Julius  #16787  Sat, 17 Mar 07 10:17 PM

Hola walla:

1) Is there such a verb as ¨parecerse¨ or ¨gustarse¨? I know that not all verbs have reflexive forms. Si la pregunta es que si hay mas verbos con el mismo significado, la respuesta es sí, pero dependiendo del contexto podemos usar un verbo u otro, depende. Puedes buscar en un diccionario de sinónimos.


2) Is the literal translation of ¨se parece¨ = ¨it seems to itself¨? If so, why is the common usage of the phrase ¨it seems¨, or ¨it looks like¨? Is it just one of those reflexive verbs that changes meaning when you use it?

*When you use it with the meaning "seems" (believe) the verb isn`t reflexive => ME PARECE QUE ES BLANCO, I seems that it/he is white. "Me" isn`t a reflexive word, it's the indirect object (a mi, to me).

*When you use it with the meaning "looks like" then the verb is reflexive => EL NIÑO SE PARECE A SU PADRE, the child looks like his father

3) Is it proper to use ¨se parece que no puedo cantar¨ to mean ¨it seems that I can´t sing¨? No, because it has been translated for "seems" and then it isn't reflexive, the correct form is Parece (seems,I believe) que no puedo cantar

4) Is it proper to use ¨Se parece a Maria.¨ to mean ¨It looks like Maria.¨? yes.

5) Is it proper to use ¨Se gusta¨ to mean ¨It is pleasing to itself¨ or ¨it is pleased¨? If "be pleased" means that you are happy for something then we can't use the spanish verb gustar/gustarse. I think that the right translation for "Se gusta/Gustarse" is It's pleasing to itself.  Can I use ¨Me gusto¨ to say ¨I like myself¨ or ¨I am pleasing to myself¨ or ¨I am pleased¨? pues creo que la traducción correcta es "I like myself";  pero no entiendo muy bien cual es la diferencia en inglés entre I like myself y I am pleasing to myself.

Saludos. 

  
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walla  #16811  Sun, 18 Mar 07 07:51 PM
Muchísimas gracias, Julius :)
  
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