B1 · Reflexive verbs
When the se changes the meaning
The same verb twice: esquecer takes an object, esquecer-se takes a preposition.
A number of verbs mean something different with se than without. Lembrar is « to remind »; lembrar-se de is « to remember ». English marks that pair with two separate verbs, so the idea is familiar; what is new is that here it is the same word twice.
The commonest: ir (to go) against ir-se embora (to leave); encontrar (to find) against encontrar-se (to meet); esquecer (to forget) against esquecer-se de (to forget); parecer (to seem) against parecer-se com (to look like).
That third pair is the useful one, because both members mean « to forget » and they build the sentence differently. Esqueci o guarda-chuva takes a direct object, exactly like English. Esqueci-me do guarda-chuva takes the pronoun and a preposition. Both are correct; what is wrong is half of each.
With many of these the preposition is part of the meaning: lembrar-se de, esquecer-se de, queixar-se de, rir-se de, parecer-se com. And three verbs exist almost only with se: queixar-se (to complain), arrepender-se (to regret), atrever-se (to dare).
Die Form
| to go / to leave | ir / ir-se embora |
| to remind / to remember | lembrar / lembrar-se de |
| to find / to meet | encontrar / encontrar-se |
| to forget / to forget | esquecer / esquecer-se de |
| to seem / to look like | parecer / parecer-se com |
| to complain about | queixar-se de |
Die Regeln im Einzelnen
With se the meaning changes.
Vou-me embora, está a ficar tarde.I am off, it is getting late.
The preposition belongs with it.
Não me lembro do nome dele.I do not remember his name.
encontrar-se means to meet.
Encontrámo-nos à porta do cinema.We met outside the cinema.
A few exist only with se.
Ele queixa-se sempre do trânsito.He is always complaining about the traffic.
Woran man es erkennt
- ir-se embora
- lembrar-se de
- esquecer-se de
- queixar-se de
Beispielsätze
Esqueci-me completamente da reunião.I completely forgot the meeting.
Ela parece-se muito com a mãe.She looks very like her mother.
Vamo-nos embora antes que comece a chover.Let us go before it starts raining.
Arrependi-me de ter dito aquilo.I regretted having said that.
Die typisch deutsche Falle
Aufgepasst
Esquecer and esquecer-se de both mean « to forget » and build the sentence differently: esqueci o guarda-chuva with no preposition, esqueci-me do guarda-chuva with one. Both are right — the mixture of the two is not.
With se a preposition nearly always comes too.
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