Business Spanish - Transitive Verbs

. Learn Spanish Grammer .

LESSON XVIII.
(Lección décima octava.)

TRANSITIVE VERBS.

A verb is Transitive when its action passes from the subject of the
action to the object.

=Transitive Verbs= are divided into--

=1. Active= (when the subject of the verb stands for the doer or agent
of the action), as--

Renovamos nuestros ofrecimientos de servicios: We renew our offers of
services.

=2. Passive= (when the subject of the verb stands for the real object of
the action, viz., when it suffers the action instead of doing it), as--

Los ofrecimientos de sus servicios nos fueron renovados en su último
escrito: His offers of services were renewed to us in his last letter.

The Passive voice in Spanish is formed with the verb _ser_ as above, or
by using the =active voice= with the pronoun _se_, as--

Se nos renovaron los ofrecimientos de sus servicios: His offers, etc.

Active verbs become reflexive when their subject and object are the same
person or thing, as--

Nos lisonjeamos poderlos servir por lo mejor de sus intereses: We
flatter ourselves that we can serve them to the best of their interests.

Reflexive verbs in the plural are also reciprocal, as--

Nos comprendemos: We understand each other.

Nos escribimos muy frecuentemente: We write to each other very
frequently.

"Uno á otro" and "los unos á los otros" may be added for greater
clearness, as--

Procuramos convencernos (á nosotros mismos). We try to convince
ourselves (each other).

Procuramos convencernos (el uno al otro). We try to convince ourselves
(each other).

The direct object of a transitive verb,[121] if a proper name of a
person or place, must be preceded by _á_, as--

Vimos al Señor Guillermo: We saw Mr. William.
Visitamos á Francia[122]: We visited France.

[Footnote 121: With the exception of "Tener."]

[Footnote 122: But not geographical names preceded by the article, as:
Avistamos La Habana (we sighted Havana).]

Á is also generally used before any noun =indicating= a person,[123]
as--

Empleamos á este corresponsal: We employ this correspondent.

[Footnote 123: This part of the rule is not very strict, as we find it
sometimes omitted before persons, and at others used before names of
things, as: El hecho precedió á la palabra (the action preceded the
word).]

But _á_ should be avoided whenever it would engender confusion, or when
the verb governs an accusative and a dative at the same time, as--

Enviamos nuestro dependiente: We send our clerk.

Recomendamos el Sr. Pérez á nuestro fabricante: We recommend Mr. Pérez
to our manufacturer.

Á is also omitted when the noun following it does not refer to a
particular individual, but to =any= individual of a certain class, as--

Busco criado: I am looking for a servant.

Juan no quiere socios en su empresa: John does not want any partners in
his undertaking.

Verbs whose root ends in _ll_ or _ñ_ take =e= and =o= instead of _ie_
and _io_, as--

+------------------------------+-------------------------------+
| =Bullir= (to boil). | =Gruñir= (to growl, grumble).|
+------------------------------+-------------------------------+
|_Pres. Part._, Bullendo |Gruñendo |
|_Past Def._ Bulló, bulleron|Gruñó, gruñeron[124] |
+------------------------------+-------------------------------+

[Footnote 124: The Imperf. and Fut. Subj. follow the Past Def.]

Verbs in whose conjugations _i_ should come =unstressed= between two
vowels change the unstressed _i_ into =y=, as--

+----------------------------------+
| =Creer= (to believe). |
+----------------------------------+
|_Pres. Part._, Creyendo. |
|_Past Def._, Creyó ... creyeron.|
+----------------------------------+

But the _Imperf. Indic._: creía, creías, creía, creíamos, creíais,
creían.

Verbs ending in _zar_ change the _z_ into =c= before =e= (because, with
very few exceptions, _z_ is not used in modern Spanish before _e_ or
_i_), as--

+---------------------------------------------------------+
| =Gozar= (to enjoy). |
+---------------------------------------------------------+
|_Pres. Subj._, Goce, goces, goce, gocemos, gocéis, gocen.|
|_Past. Def._, Gocé ... |
+---------------------------------------------------------+

VOCABULARY.

=abedul=, birch
=abeto=, fir
=adjunto=, herewith
=agradable=, agreeable, pleasant
=arpillera=, bagging
=asegurar=, to insure
=atribuir=, to attribute
=el billar=, billiards
=bola=, ball
=calzado=, footwear
=camas, armazones de cama=, bedsteads
=carne seca=, jerked beef
=chalecos=, vests
=consignación=, consignment
=correas=, belts, belting (machinery)
=corresponsal=, correspondent
=egoísta=, selfish
=encaminar=, to forward
=entrar en el dique=, to dock (ships)
=fresno=, ash
=garbanzos=, Spanish or chick peas
=á grande velocidad=, by passenger train
=guisantes=, green peas
=habas=, broad beans
=haya=, beech
=hortalizas=, green vegetables
=instruir=, to instruct
=judías=, French beans
=latón=, brass
=la leche=, the milk
=loza=, crockery
=á pequeña velocidad=, by slow train
=pino=, pine
=plomo=, lead
=porcelana=, china
=productos químicos=, chemicals
=roble, encina=, oak
=rotura=, breakage
=semestre=, half-year
=suprimir=, to suppress, to leave out
=tacos=, billiard-cues
=el viaje=, the journey
=zinc=, zinc

EXERCISE 1 (35).

Translate into English--

1. Estimamos en mucho á nuestros corresponsales y los servimos de la
mejor manera posible.

2. Comunica el capitán del vapor "Ríos" que el jueves, al medio día, se
hallaba á seiscientas millas de Veracruz, sin novedad (all well).

3. Hoy publica la Gaceta dos cuadros estadísticos (statistical tables)
formados por la Dirección general (Board) del Instituto Geográfico y
Estadístico, que expresan el movimiento de pasajeros por mar habido en
nuestro puerto durante el semestre pasado, y por los cuales se viene en
conocimiento (we can see) de la emigración é inmigración española.

4. Desde el día 1° de Enero próximo satisfará (will pay) el calzado
extranjero 10% más de derecho de importación.

5. Una comisión de Agricultores de Valencia visitó ayer tarde (yesterday
evening) al Presidente del Consejo (the Premier) para pedirle que se
suprima el impuesto sobre el transporte de hortalizas que establece la
nueva ley.

6. Tiñendo estas telas con anilina se aumenta el coste de seis céntimos
por metro.

7. Bulleron[125] la leche y la esterilizaron.

8. Gocemos de las libertades á que tenemos derecho pero no abusemos de
ellas.

9. Ellos creyeron lo que les dijimos (we said to them) y ya no nos
atribuyen intenciones egoístas.

10. El Sr. Moreno sale para un viaje de negocios y visitará á Santo
Domingo y la Habana.

11. He visto los Alpes y el Pirineo pero no el Himalaya.

12. He visitado á España.

[Footnote 125: "To boil" is generally _hervir_. Bullir is given as an
example of the conjugation.]

EXERCISE 2 (36).

Translate into Spanish--

1. Kindly see Mr. Marino and inform him that we shall soon send him a
consignment of timber, consisting of ash, beech, birch, fir, pine and
oak.

2. We shall instruct our correspondent at Bilbao to forward to Vitoria
the brass, lead, tin (estaño), and zinc he holds (tiene) at our
disposal.

3. By the boat (steamer) leaving (que sale) this week, we shall ship to
your consignment the bagging, belting, and bedsteads.

4. The "María" docked yesterday with a cargo of broad beans, French
beans, green peas, and Spanish or chick peas.

5. She also brings a parcel of jerked beef and canned tongues (lenguas
en latas).

6. I have a friend who is a dealer in billiard tables, balls and cues.

7. The candles and chemicals have been despatched last week.

8. We flatter ourselves that we shall shortly be able to write to each
other pleasanter letters.

9. We have insured the china and crockery free of particular average
(franco de), but we insured them against breakage at a (al) premium of
4%.

10. Herewith please find claim (reclamo) for loss through (por) damage
in your last shipment of clocks and watches.

11. Please send by slow train the coats, vests, and trousers and, by
passenger train, the remainder of the articles.