Ch 35 · Lesson 10Spanish · Chapter 35 · Lesson 10 · Grammar primer
Dejar, mandar, prohibir: let, order, forbid
(they let me in), (the doctor told me to rest), , and where two pronouns go: .
The short version
.
Why?Hide
plus an infinitive forces or causes: . plus an infinitive allows: . is the formal , for rules and notices: .
Dejar: let
+ infinitive is the everyday word for letting someone do something:
| Use | Spanish | English |
|---|---|---|
| allow | . | They let me in. |
| refuse | . | He/She won't let me speak. |
| command | . | Let me see. |
| no object | . | I let her go out. |
| an object | . | I let him/her use the car. |
The same or switch applies. + subjunctive also works: Ana. - Let Ana do it.
Mandar, permitir, prohibir: order, allow, forbid
is the spoken word for telling someone to do something; is formal. and belong to rules and officialdom:
| Verb | Spanish | English |
|---|---|---|
. | The doctor told me to rest. | |
. | The judge ordered the bar closed. | |
. | They let me leave early. | |
. | He/She was banned from driving for a year. |
The more official the setting, the further right the verb sits:
- No te dejo fumar.I won’t let you smoke
- No se permite fumar.smoking is not allowed
- Prohibido fumar.no smoking
All four also take + subjunctive: . - He/She ordered us to leave.
Two pronouns: me lo hizo repetir
The person's pronoun belongs to or . The infinitive's own object can stay on the infinitive or join it in front, with no change in meaning:
| Position | Spanish | English |
|---|---|---|
| on the end | . | He/She made me repeat it. |
| in front | . | He/She made me repeat it. |
| on the end | . | They won't let me see it. |
| in front | . | They won't let me see it. |
| + | . | I had him/her fix it. |
| a command | . | Let me see it. |
In front, + becomes , as always. With a command, every pronoun joins the end: . - Make me laugh.
Mistakes English speakers make
| Wrong | Right | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Me a . | . | nothing in between |
| Me a . | . | nothing in between |
| Me . | . | needs the subjunctive |
| . | . | has its own object |
| Me . | . | an infinitive, never -ndo |
| Me . | . | body parts take |
Going further: The causative verbs at a glance and the rest of the guide, when you want them. This lesson does not need them.
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