- Thread starter rolfdog
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La foto se me borr?
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"rolf"
I'm thinkin' it means "The photo erased itself on me."
borrarse is to erase "one's" self.
putting the "me" in there kind of means it happened to me.
Kind of like the photos in the movie "Back to the Future" when Marty notices the figures disappearing almost before his eyes.
Anybody else got any ideas?
mkohn
I'm thinkin' it means "The photo erased itself on me."
borrarse is to erase "one's" self.
putting the "me" in there kind of means it happened to me.
Kind of like the photos in the movie "Back to the Future" when Marty notices the figures disappearing almost before his eyes.
Anybody else got any ideas?
mkohn
It means the foto was erased but does not implicate anybody as to who did it, including the speaker - the "me" part simply indicates that the fotos were owned by the speaker.
This is a very common form here and expertly used by many Dominicans to not take the blame for something they did. Good example is when I asked my daughter who ate all of the tostitos and she replied, "se te acabaron, parece" - oye que frequita, eh?
This is a very common form here and expertly used by many Dominicans to not take the blame for something they did. Good example is when I asked my daughter who ate all of the tostitos and she replied, "se te acabaron, parece" - oye que frequita, eh?
"mko"
I like your translation the best. The photo vanished from me.
"chip"
I can't make sense of your example unless it means the tostitos finished themselves on you?
I tried reading the lyrics but still couldn't make heads or tails of it.
Anyway, thanks to all.
Anymore suggestions?
Steve
I like your translation the best. The photo vanished from me.
"chip"
I can't make sense of your example unless it means the tostitos finished themselves on you?
I tried reading the lyrics but still couldn't make heads or tails of it.
Anyway, thanks to all.
Anymore suggestions?
Steve
The translation I presented is correct. Unfortunately, not every idea, word, etc can be translated directly. The closest translations is probably "my foto was erased" and "the tostitos were all eaten, apparently". But like I said the sentance does not imply who or what erased the photos or ate the tostitos, just that they were.
It is to your benefit to try to learn the different expressions as they are in Spanish rather than trying to understands them in English or whatever language.
Another example is the verb gustar - try to translate that directly and you will go crazy, although to tell you the truth in the beginning I tried, but it was nothing that was close to correct English.
It actually becomes fun to use these different ways of expressing ideas, and it some point you will be wishing as I have that English had the same means of expression.
Rolfdog, Chip is correct. It is a distinction that is made in Spanish that isn't made in English. It is a passive construction. For instance, "olvid? el nombre" suggest that you intentionally forgot the name while "se me olvid? el nombre" means you unintentionally forgot the name as in I forgot her name because she broke my heart as oppose to I wan't to remember her name but I am at a lost.
Goes all with "... pero no fue mi culpa!" ... se borro (solito), se perdio (Godness gracious it grew legs! Was it fed up, took a hike?), se rompio ("it" suddenly became suicidal... the glass turned depressive and to the accused's total surprise, jumped out of the vitrine!).
Fue sin querer! Lo juro!
Yo no fui, ella tambien lo hizo!
Fue sin querer! Lo juro!
Yo no fui, ella tambien lo hizo!
I like to look at the reflexive verbs as something apparently occurring spontaneously.
Referring to the verb gustar, maybe its translation should be more along the lines of something being pleasing to the speaker, or object.
Tu me gustas.
Me gustan los mangos.
A Luis le gusta jugar pelota.
Me gusta esta vaina.
"mko"
:glasses:
Referring to the verb gustar, maybe its translation should be more along the lines of something being pleasing to the speaker, or object.
Tu me gustas.
Me gustan los mangos.
A Luis le gusta jugar pelota.
Me gusta esta vaina.
"mko"
:glasses:
Those of you learning Spanish, be aware of the grammatical rule governing the use of se.
Its use is not due to a Dominican attitude. I hope you can read the following:
se
1. pronombre. Forma ?tona del pronombre personal reflexivo de tercera persona singular y plural. (Se arregla. Se arregla el peinado.)
2.Marca la voz media de los verbos pronominales,como en arrepentirse o jactarse.
3.Se utiliza para expresar la impersonalidad en las oraciones impersonales:
se vive bien en Espa?a.
4.Se utiliza para marcar la carencia de agente en las oraciones pasivas reflejas:
Se oyen voces a lo lejos.
Diccionario de la lengua espa?ola ? 2005 Espasa-Calpe S.A., Madrid:
Hope this helps.
Its use is not due to a Dominican attitude. I hope you can read the following:
se
1. pronombre. Forma ?tona del pronombre personal reflexivo de tercera persona singular y plural. (Se arregla. Se arregla el peinado.)
2.Marca la voz media de los verbos pronominales,como en arrepentirse o jactarse.
3.Se utiliza para expresar la impersonalidad en las oraciones impersonales:
se vive bien en Espa?a.
4.Se utiliza para marcar la carencia de agente en las oraciones pasivas reflejas:
Se oyen voces a lo lejos.
Diccionario de la lengua espa?ola ? 2005 Espasa-Calpe S.A., Madrid:
Hope this helps.
Thanks xamaicano, and chip of course. Comparing se me borr? to se me olvid? helps me understand the grammatical nuance better.
So is it "my photo was erased" or "I erased the photo"?
However I think mko has a good point regarding borrarse.
"The photo erased itself (vanished) on me" with "me" serving as the indirect object for borrarse.
Steve
So is it "my photo was erased" or "I erased the photo"?
However I think mko has a good point regarding borrarse.
"The photo erased itself (vanished) on me" with "me" serving as the indirect object for borrarse.
Steve
I doubt this is correct English(more street English...on me) and doesn't make sense because it is saying the photo erased itself, which is not possible. The simplest translation would be "my photo was erased". Think of the reflexive form of verbs(ie that us "se" before the verb) as passive like in English, and the "me" therefore simply represent the posession of the photo.
If you listen to entire song, it just states how all the memories have been erased from his mind.
When someone says se me borro la foto, it means "I erased the photo"
That is incorrect, "yo me la borre la foto" means I erased my photo, "se me borro la foto" means "my photo was erased".
Xamaicano stated this as well:
http://www.dr1.com/forums/634667-post8.html
Actually, the reflexive construction isn't the same as the passive. Me llamo Chip is reflexive as in "I call myself Chip" or "my name is Chip." While ?Se vende ropa aqu?? is passive as in "is clothes sold here?" The "se impersonal" can be used with verbs that aren't reflexive. The most common is "?como se dice? which is the equivalent to "how does one say?"
Thanks, I realize this. I was trying to help Rolfdog understand the statement better as it appears he is having difficulty - I should have stated that it was really only relevant to this particular case.
Elvis said I erased THE photo not I erased MY photo.
If se me olvid? (it forgot itself on me) can translate to I forgot it then se me borr? can be I erased (THE photo). but in an unintentional manner so that the photo erased itself on me as if it faded from my mind.
I erased MY photo would be yo la borr? mi foto. Although, yo me lav? la mano does mean I washed MY hand. I think that is because lavarse is a truly reflexive verb where the action is done on oneself.
Of course context is everything.
Steve
If se me olvid? (it forgot itself on me) can translate to I forgot it then se me borr? can be I erased (THE photo). but in an unintentional manner so that the photo erased itself on me as if it faded from my mind.
I erased MY photo would be yo la borr? mi foto. Although, yo me lav? la mano does mean I washed MY hand. I think that is because lavarse is a truly reflexive verb where the action is done on oneself.
Of course context is everything.
Steve
The point isn't the photo or my photo but that he says "I erased it" - this is still incorrect, whether it is se la borr? la foto or se me borr? la foto.
If you want to say I erased the photo, the verb conjugation of borrar must be the first person singular form, or borr?.
Also, "se me olvido" has it's own connotation but you can't really apply that to the use with borrar, because that is not how it is used or interpreted. Remember, Xamaicano, stated that "I forgot it" would be "lo olvid?", the "se me olvid?" is a still a passive construction.
Also, try to take the advice as it is given and just trust with time that it will make sense to you. I had a problem like most with indirect and direct object and reflexive verbs and passive verbs but now it all makes sense to me and in fact in some ways is superior to English in describing things more precisely/efficiently.
Btw, it's incorrect to say "Yo me la borre la foto"
It's "yo borre la foto". Me la is not needed Unless you're saying "me la borraron"
Either way
Se me borro la foto
La foto se me borro
Yo borre la foto
All these terms mean I erased the photo !
"My photo was erased" would be
mi foto se me borro or mi foto se borro
se me borro mi foto
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