Not my fault en Espanol

[cavok]

A lot of the Spanish language is constructed so as to be absolved of personal responsibility:

Se me cayo. I didn't drop it - it fell from me. No es mi culpa!

Se me perdio. I didn't lose it - it got lost. No es mi culpa!

Se me olvido. I didn't forget it - it got forgotten to me. No es mi culpa!

 

[Aguaita29]

A lot of the Spanish language is constructed so as to be absolved of personal responsibility:

Se me cayo. I didn't drop it - it fell from me. No es mi culpa!

Se me perdio. I didn't lose it - it got lost. No es mi culpa!

Se me olvido. I didn't forget it - it got forgotten to me. No es mi culpa!

Actually, the "me" part means that you did it. "Se me rompi?" means "I broke it", "se me olvid?" means "I forgot", and so on. Now, If the person just says "Se rompi?", that's different.

 

[cavok]

Actually, the "me" part means that you did it. "Se me rompi?" means "I broke it", "se me olvid?" means "I forgot", and so on. Now, If the person just says "Se rompi?", that's different.

"I forgot" is really the only sensical way to translate "se me olvido" into English. However, the "me" here is the indirect object. "Se me olvido de tu cumpleanos" is more like saying "your birthday just slipped my mind" like in you didn't realize what the date was today, thereby excusing yourself some of the culpability. "Me olvide de tu cumpleanos" now literally means that "I forgot your birthday" and you are accepting the responsibility and blame for having forgotten.

"Se me perdio la cartera" is more like saying in English "my wallet got lost", "I don't know where it went, it just disappeared". Once again in this construction, you are alleviating yourself of some of the blame. "Yo perdi me cartera" - I lost my wallet. I did it, no one else to blame but me.

"I forgot" and "I lost" are good enough English translations, but there's is an actual nuanced difference in meaning and responsibility between the two different contructions in Spanish.

 

[cavok]

In "se me olvido" and "se me perdio" above, those are accented "o"s, but I don't know how to get my keyboard to type an accented "o"(?).

 

[Aguaita29]

"I forgot" is really the only sensical way to translate "se me olvido" into English. However, the "me" here is the indirect object. "Se me olvido de tu cumpleanos" is more like saying "your birthday just slipped my mind" like in you didn't realize what the date was today, thereby excusing yourself some of the culpability. "Me olvide de tu cumpleanos" now literally means that "I forgot your birthday" and you are accepting the responsibility and blame for having forgotten.

"Se me perdio la cartera" is more like saying in English "my wallet got lost", "I don't know where it went, it just disappeared". Once again in this construction, you are alleviating yourself of some of the blame. "Yo perdi me cartera" - I lost my wallet. I did it, no one else to blame but me.

"I forgot" and "I lost" are good enough English translations, but there's is an actual nuanced difference in meaning and responsibility between the two different contructions in Spanish.

When you say "se me/te/le/nos perdi? la cartera", you're indicating who did it. You are saying: "I/you/he/she/we lost it. It means the same thing.
Notice that there is a difference between "Se me perdi? el paquete" and "Se perdi? el paquete",and both of them are correct.

You're being way too literal. Languages don't work that way.

 

[Mauricio]

Words like perderse, caerse are reflexive verbs which represent actions *that aren't deliberate. So it's more like, I lost it (but not on purpose).

 

[cavok]

When you say "se me/te/le/nos perdi? la cartera", you're indicating who did it. You are saying: "I/you/he/she/we lost it. It means the same thing.
Notice that there is a difference between "Se me perdi? el paquete" and "Se perdi? el paquete",and both of them are correct.

You're being way too literal. Languages don't work that way.

I guess I'm not explaining what I'm trying to say well(?). The best English translation for "se me perdio el paquete" is "I lost the package".

When you say "Se perdio el paquete" you are using the passive voice and the translation is "the package was lost". When you add "me" as in "se me perdio el paquete" "me" is the indirect object here and you are basically saying "the package was lost to me".

"Yo perdi el paquete" and "se me perdio" both translate to English as "I lost the package". The difference between the two is in the degree of blame, or culpability that the speaker is accepting, with former accepting more culpability, or responsibility, than the latter. The translation to English is the same - just a nuanced difference in meaning.

 

[cavok]

Words like perderse, caerse are reflexive verbs which represent actions *that aren't deliberate. So it's more like, I lost it (but not on purpose).

There are plenty of deliberate, purposeful reflexive verbs: afeitarse. casarse, acostarse, banarse, irse, sentarse, levantarse, ............................

 

[Mauricio]

I guess I'm not explaining what I'm trying to say well(?). The best English translation for "se me perdio el paquete" is "I lost the package".

When you say "Se perdio el paquete" you are using the passive voice and the translation is "the package was lost". When you add "me" as in "se me perdio el paquete" "me" is the indirect object here and you are basically saying "the package was lost to me".

"Yo perdi el paquete" and "se me perdio" both translate to English as "I lost the package". The difference between the two is in the degree of blame, or culpability that the speaker is accepting, with former accepting more culpability, or responsibility, than the latter. The translation to English is the same - just a nuanced difference in meaning.

Read here for a real explanation:*
http://www.elearnspanishlanguage.com/grammar/verb/accidentalreflexive.html

 

[Celt202]

In "se me olvido" and "se me perdio" above, those are accented "o"s, but I don't know how to get my keyboard to type an accented "o"(?).

LMGTFY

 

[Celt202]

Words like perderse, caerse are reflexive verbs which represent actions *that aren't deliberate. So it's more like, I lost it (but not on purpose).

"Se me perdi? la novia" is a softened way of saying you broke up without assigning fault... even if you read her Whatsapp and then (figuratively) kicked her through the goalposts.

 

[Aguaita29]

I guess I'm not explaining what I'm trying to say well(?). The best English translation for "se me perdio el paquete" is "I lost the package".

When you say "Se perdio el paquete" you are using the passive voice and the translation is "the package was lost". When you add "me" as in "se me perdio el paquete" "me" is the indirect object here and you are basically saying "the package was lost to me".

"Yo perdi el paquete" and "se me perdio" both translate to English as "I lost the package". The difference between the two is in the degree of blame, or culpability that the speaker is accepting, with former accepting more culpability, or responsibility, than the latter. The translation to English is the same - just a nuanced difference in meaning.

keep in mind that "me" is not only an indirect object but it also plays the role of "I", like in "Me gusta el helado." Which means "I like Icream." Or "Me fui", which means "I left".
There is really no difference in meaning between saying "Perd? las llaves" and "Se me perdieron las llaves". "Se nos perdieron las llaves" or "Perdimos las llaves" Both indicate responsability from the agent

Perhaps we should take this to Spanish101.

 

[VJS]

There is really no difference in meaning between saying "Perd? las llaves" and "Se me perdieron las llaves". "Se nos perdieron las llaves" or "Perdimos las llaves" Both indicate responsability from the agent

There is a difference in degree of responsibility. I think you can go 20 years in DR without ever hearing 'Yo perdi' or 'yo olvide'.

"Se olvid? la carta"

The letter was forgotten. If your really trying to avoid responsibility, you could leave it at that. But if you feel like you have some responsibility here you might include yourself in the sentence too:

"Se me olvid? la carta."

The letter was forgotten and it was me that did it.

Of course, if your a real stand-up kind of guy, you can take the responsibility directly:

"Me olvid? la carta."

I forget the letter. Note the verb change to first person. I forgot the letter myself!

 

[Mauricio]

There are plenty of deliberate, purposeful reflexive verbs: afeitarse. casarse, acostarse, banarse, irse, sentarse, levantarse, ............................

Yes ofcourse , but those I mentioned are reflexive verbs that have a meaning of not deliberate and are used in the way you mention: se me cay?. Explained rather well in the link I posted. I do admit it's a rather passive way of saying you did something hutnin my opinion it has nothing to do with looking to blame the circumstances, just the way Spanish works.*

 

[cavok]

LMGTFY

I've already tried Googling it several time before and, so far, I haven't found one way that works on my laptop. Maybe a problem with my keyboard(?).

 

[cavok]

Read here for a real explanation:*
http://www.elearnspanishlanguage.com/grammar/verb/accidentalreflexive.html

Yes, and that seems to say exactly what I have been saying. Read this excerpt from the link you posted:

"The accidental reflexive construction indicates that the action was unintentional. In addition, because the subject is only referred to by an indirect object pronoun, this construction gives the sense that the subject is not to blame - he or she had nothing to do with the accident."

When you say "se me perdieron las llaves" as opposed to "Yo perdi las llaves" it gives a more exculpatory tone or feeling to what you are saying - accepting less blame or fault - as the author in the link that you sent to me clearly states.

 

[cavok]

Yes ofcourse , but those I mentioned are reflexive verbs that have a meaning of not deliberate and are used in the way you mention: se me cay?. Explained rather well in the link I posted. I do admit it's a rather passive way of saying you did something hutnin my opinion it has nothing to do with looking to blame the circumstances, just the way Spanish works.*

I didn't say it had to do with blaming circumstances, but rather to do with deflecting blame or fault from yourself.

 

[cavok]

keep in mind that "me" is not only an indirect object but it also plays the role of "I", like in "Me gusta el helado." Which means "I like Icream." Or "Me fui", which means "I left".
There is really no difference in meaning between saying "Perd? las llaves" and "Se me perdieron las llaves". "Se nos perdieron las llaves" or "Perdimos las llaves" Both indicate responsability from the agent

Perhaps we should take this to Spanish101.

Me gusta el helado means "ice cream pleases me. "Me"(sp) here is a direct object pronoun. The only sensical translation to English is "I like ice cream". See post #16.

 

[Aguaita29]

There is a difference in degree of responsibility. I think you can go 20 years in DR without ever hearing 'Yo perdi' or 'yo olvide'.

"Se olvid? la carta"

The letter was forgotten. If your really trying to avoid responsibility, you could leave it at that. But if you feel like you have some responsibility here you might include yourself in the sentence too:

"Se me olvid? la carta."

The letter was forgotten and it was me that did it.

Of course, if your a real stand-up kind of guy, you can take the responsibility directly:

"Me olvid? la carta."

I forget the letter. Note the verb change to first person. I forgot the letter myself!

"Me olvid? la carta" is not correct Spanish and and doesn't even sound natural. Sounds like something a non native speaker would say. "Se olvid? la cartera" also sounds weird.

 

[JD Jones]

My favorite (and the one I hear the most) is "no fui yo"