Read Madrigals Magic Key to Spanish Online
Authors: Margarita Madrigal
Tags: #Reference, #Language Arts & Disciplines
4. You have learned that “I’m going to the theater” is “Voy al teatro” and “He’s going to the movies” is “Va al cine.”
When you don’t say where you’re going all forms of the verb “ir” become reflexive.
Sometimes you use the word “away” in English when you don’t say where you are going: “I’m going away.”
IRSE,
to go
(
away
)
Me fuí con Roberto.
I went
(
away
)
with Robert
.
Se fué solo.
He went
(
away
)
alone
.
Me voy.
I’m going
(
away
).
¿Por qué se fué?
Why did you go
(
away
)
?
“Ya” means “already, now,” and it’s used very much with the different forms of “
ir.”
Ya me voy. I’m going now . | Ya se van. They’re going now . |
Ya se va. He’s going now . | Ya se fueron. They’ve already gone ( left ). |
Ya nos vamos. We’re going now . | Ya se fué. He’s already gone ( left ). |
LLAMARSE,
to be called
Me llamo Elena.
I’m called Helen
(
My name is Helen
).
¿Comó se llama?
How are you called
(
What’s your name
)
?
Se llama Carlos.
He’s called Charles
(
His name is Charles
).
“Llamar” means “to call” when it isn’t reflexive and “to be called” when it is reflexive.
QUEDARSE,
to stay
Me quedé con Luis.
I stayed with Louis
.
Nos quedamos en el club.
We stayed at the club
.
CAERSE,
to fall, to fall down
Me caí.
I fell down
.
Se cayó.
He fell down
.
PARECERSE,
to resemble, to look like
Se parece a su mamá.
He resembles his mother
(
He looks like his mother
).
Me parezco a mi tío.
I resemble my uncle
(
I look like my uncle
).
CEPILLARSE,
to brush
(hair, teeth, clothes)
Me cepillé los dientes.
I brushed my teeth
.
Se cepilló el pelo.
She brushed her hair
.
METERSE,
to put yourself into, to get yourself into
Me metí en un lío.
I got myself into a scrape
(
a mess
).
SENTARSE,
to sit down
(radical changing)
Me siento en el sofá.
I sit on the sofa
.
Se sentó en el asiento.
He sat down on the seat
(in the theater, plane, train).
Se sentó en el sillón.
He sat down on the armchair
.
Se sentaron en las sillas.
They sat down on the chairs
.