Spanish · Chapter 43 · Lesson 8 · Grammar primer
Set phrases with tener, dar, hacer, echar
The fixed light-verb expressions that carry everyday Spanish: tener ganas de, tener en cuenta, darse cuenta, dar igual, hacer falta, hacer caso, echar de menos (miss), echar una mano - learned as chunks.
The short version
Learn the whole chunk, prepositions and all
Five ordinary verbs, tener, dar, hacer, echar and poner, hand their meaning over to the noun beside them and become pure scaffolding. Echar de menos has no throwing in it; it means to miss someone. Store the finished chunk with its little words attached: tener ganas de, darse cuenta de, ponerse de acuerdo. Drop one preposition and the seam shows.
Te echo mucho de menos.
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