Although the Spanish pronoun se is most typically associated with reflexive verbs or passive or impersonal constructions, there is a case in which the indirect object pronoun le actually converts to a se! Let's find out what it is.
While a lot can be said about the topic of direct and indirect object pronouns, we'll provide you with a very brief overview.
Direct object pronouns (me, te, lo, la, nos, os, los, las) replace a direct object to convey the idea of "me, "you," "it," "we," and "them." Their form depends upon whether what is being replaced is masculine or feminine and singular or plural. For example, if instead of saying "I have the apples" (Tengo las manzanas), you wanted to say simply "I have them," you'd use the feminine plural las to agree with las manzanas to say, "Yo las tengo."
Indirect object pronouns let us know "to whom" an action happens. If you wished to say, for example, "I gave the apple to him," you'd say Yo le di la manzana since le is the indirect object pronoun that corresponds to the subject pronoun él (he). The indirect object pronouns and their corresponding subject pronouns are: me (yo), te (tú), le (él, ella, usted), nos (nosotros/as), os (vosotros/as), and les (ellos/as, ustedes).
So, what if you want to both replace a direct object and indicate "to whom" something happens? You'd then use both a direct and an indirect object pronoun, starting with the latter. Let's see a couple of examples from our Yabla Spanish library:
Y tengo acá las revistas. Si quieres te las enseño después. Y...
And I have the magazines here. If you want I'll show them to you later. And...
Captions 77-78, Gonzalo el Pintor Vida - Part 2
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Here, Gonzalo uses las to replace the feminine plural noun las revistas (the magazines) and te to indicate that he will show them "to you." Let's see one more example.
Y yo voy a la huerta a buscar los tomatitos ya que nadie me los trae.
And I'm going to go to the garden to look for the tomatoes since no one's bringing them to me.
Caption 32, Muñeca Brava 41 La Fiesta - Part 5
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In this case, the speaker uses the masculine plural los to replace the masculine plural los tomatitos (the tomatoes), and the indirect object pronoun me (to me) to reflect that "no one's bringing them to me."
It seems pretty simple, right? The "problem" arises when the required indirect object pronoun is le or les. For example, if you wish to say, "I'm giving it to them," referring to el lapiz (the pencil), would you say: "Yo les lo doy"? The rules of the Spanish language state that whenever the indirect object pronoun in question is le or les, those words change to se to avoid the awkwardness of having two words that begin with "l" in a row. The correct manner of saying this would thus be Yo se lo doy. Let's look at a few more examples from our Yabla Spanish library.
Voy a escribirle una carta y se la mando con el Señor Viento.
I'm going to write her a letter and I'll send it to her with Mister Wind.
Captions 56-58, Guillermina y Candelario El Mar enamorado
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Él... él se los dio a mi marido
He... he gave them to my husband,
Caption 76, Málaga Lourdes y la talabartería en Mijas Pueblo
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La quiero ver... con moñito y todo se lo regalo. -Bueno...
I want to see you... with a bow and everything, I'll give him to you. -Well...
Caption 14, Muñeca Brava 18 - La Apuesta - Part 7
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Remember that, as with all direct and indirect object pronouns, se lo, etc. are typically placed directly before the verb. However, in the case of infinitive verbs, they are attached to the end of the infinitive to form a new word (with the appropriate placement of a written tilde according to the Spanish accent rules). Let's see a couple of examples:
Señor, esa información no puedo dársela yo.
Sir, I can't give you that information.
Caption 60, Confidencial: Asesino al Volante Capítulo 1 - Part 8
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El problema es que no era capaz de decírselo.
The problem is that I wasn't capable of telling it to him.
Caption 44, Los Años Maravillosos Capítulo 13 - Part 5
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We hope that this lesson has shed a bit of light on those cases in which the indirect object pronouns le and les change to se. Don't forget to write us with your questions and suggestions.
Let's keep learning interesting Spanish expressions. Our always-growing catalog of Spanish videos contains many examples that will definitely help you boost your conversational skills.
Mili, the main character of the Argentinian telenovela Muñeca Brava, continues to be a never-ending source of colloquial expressions. In the following example, she gives us the Spanish equivalent of the expression "to call a spade a spade," which in Spanish has a very eucharistical nature:
¡Al pan, pan y al vino, vino, doña!
To call a spade a spade, Ma'am!
[literally: to call bread "bread" and wine "wine"]
Caption 55, Muñeca Brava - 8 Trampas
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Indeed, Mili siempre llama al pan, pan y al vino, vino (Mili always calls a spade a spade), because Mili es muy directa para hablar (Mili is very direct). Mexican folks would also say that Mili es muy claridosa (Mili is very plain-spoken, or blunt), a word that comes from the adjective claro (clear). Wouldn't you agree with Spanish speakers who would also say that Mili is not the type of person that esquiva el bulto (literally, “goes around the bundle”)? Depending on the context, this expression may be translated as "to beat around the bush" or even "to dodge the bullet”:
Al contrario,
On the contrary,
vos estás esquivando acá el bulto para no pagarme a mí...
you are trying to dodge the bullet to avoid paying me...
Caption 49, Muñeca Brava - 18 - La Apuesta
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Also equivalent are the Spanish expressions sacar la vuelta (to go around, to evade), hacer rodeos or andar con rodeos (to make detours):
Dime la verdad, no le saques la vuelta.
Tell me the truth, don't beat around the bush.
Desde entonces, Lucía siempre me saca la vuelta.
Since then, Lucia is always evading me.
Está bien, Sor Cachetes, déjese de rodeos. Dígame,
All right, Sister Cheeks, stop beating about the bush. Tell me,
¿qué, qué es lo que pasa?
what, what's going on?
Captions 44-45, Muñeca Brava 18 - La Apuesta
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Quiero andarme sin rodeos
I want to go without detours [to be straightfoward]
Confesarte que una tarde empecé a morir por ti
To confess to you that one afternoon I began to die for you
Captions 16-17, Amaia Montero - Quiero Ser
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Going back to Mili's personality, another useful expression to describe the way she speaks would be ir al grano (to get straight to the point). When someone is wasting your time with a long chat, you can say ¡Ve al grano! (Get to the point!) Of course, you can also do as Mili does and omit the verb ir (to go):
Bueno, vamos.
Well, let's go.
Al grano que quiero dormir mi siesta.
Straight to the point as I want to take my nap.
¿Qué venías a pedirme?
What did you want to ask me?
Captions 66-68, Muñeca Brava - 41 La Fiesta
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Another similar expression is ir al meollo del asunto or ir al meollo de la cuestión, which means “to get to the nub of the issue,” “to get straight to the point.” The word meollo is definitely a keeper. It means the central core of something, and comes from the latin medulla (marrow):
Bueno, el meollo de la cuestión.
Well, the point of the matter.
Caption 11, Muñeca Brava - 18 - La Apuesta
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There are many virtues and benefits associated with being as direct as Mili is. People like her are usually honest and not prone to telling lies or cheating. Speaking of which, you may have heard the expression dar gato por liebre (to try to deceive; literally, “to give a cat instead of a hare”). A somewhat close English expression is “to be sold a pig in a poke,” which is not very common, anyway.
Gato por liebre.
A cat for a hare [you think you're getting one thing but it's another].
-Exactamente.
-Exactly.
Caption 50, Factor Fobia Cucarachas
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This expression is very common in Spanish, so you may want a more contextualized example:
No quieras darme gato por liebre / Don't try to deceive me.
Another similar expression is tomar el pelo (to try to trick someone).The expression dar gato por liebre would be more suitable in the context of a real scam someone is trying to pull. On the other hand, tomar el pelo is more likely used in the context of a joke. In that sense it's similar to the English expression "to pull someone's leg." Here are two examples:
¿Ustedes dos me están tomando el pelo a mí?
Are you two pulling my leg [literally "pulling my hair"]?
Caption 30, Yago - 6 Mentiras
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¿Qué tango, me estás tomando el pelo?
What tango, are you pulling my leg [literally: Are you pulling my hair]?
Yo no escucho ningún tango.
I don't hear any tango.
Captions 46-47, Muñeca Brava - 30 Revelaciones
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