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Business Spanish - The Pronoun 2

. Learn Spanish Grammer .

LESSON XXXVIII.
(Lección trigésima octava.)

THE PRONOUN. (_contd._).

Such expressions as "I did it myself," "You write it yourself," "we
spoke to him himself," are translated "Yo mismo lo hice," "V. mismo lo
escribe," "Le hablamos á él mismo."

Notice the following idiomatic uses of _Lo, La, Los, Las_ with the verbs
_haber_ and _hacer_--

¿Hay dinero? Is there money?--Sí, lo hay: Yes, there is some.

¿Hay pasividades? Are there any liabilities?--Sí, las hay: Yes, there
are some.

¿Hace dos días? Is it two days ago?--No, no los hace: No, it is not.

¿Hace una semana? Is it a week ago?--Sí, la hace: Yes, it is.

¿Hace falta escribir? Is it necessary to write?--La hace, mucho: Yes,
very necessary.

In the case of two verbs governing each other as "ir á ver" (to go and
see), "mandar hacer" (to have made), etc., a conjunctive pronoun,
occurring, may be taken by either verb, as--

Irle á ver _or_ ir á verle: To go and see him.

Mandarlo hacer _or_ Mandar hacerlo: To have it made.

An object pronoun _after a preposition_ may often be either ordinary or
reflexive as in English, as--

Los abogados han zanjado el asunto entre sí _or_ entre ellos: The
lawyers compromised the matter amongst themselves (or them).

Of course _él, ella, ellos, ellas_, cannot be used with reference to
"V." "Vs."--

Vs. lo han arreglado entre sí _or_ entre Vs. (_but not_ entre ellos):
You have arranged it between yourselves.

=Demonstrative Pronouns=.

Old Spanish forms now obsolete or seldom used--

Aqueste, etc., aquese, etc., for este, ese, etc.

Estotro, esotro, etc., for este otro, ese otro, etc.

The English expressions "I have not seen him these three months," etc.,
should be translated "Hace _or_ ha tres meses que no le veo," "Hace _or_
ha tres meses que no le he visto," "No le he visto (_or_ no le veo)
desde hace tres meses," "Hace (_or_ ha) tres meses desde que le ví la
última vez."

"I have been writing these three hours," is translated "Hace tres horas
que escribo (estoy escribiendo)," "Escribo" (estoy escribiendo) desde
hace tres horas.

=Relative Pronouns=.

_Cuyo_ in reality a relative possessive pronoun is often used as a pure
relative instead of _el cual_ followed by a noun, as--

Lo dí a un cliente, cuyo cliente lo pasó á un amigo de él:

I gave it to a customer which customer handed it to a friend of his.

The correct grammatical construction would be "el cual cliente"; but
however much some grammarians disclaim this employment of _cuyo_, it is
in the language and found in the best books and therefore must be
accepted.

=Indefinite Pronouns=.

The Indefinite Pronouns _algo_ and _nada_ followed by an adjective,
generally (but not necessarily) take =de= before the adjective, as--

Tengo algo (de) bueno: I have something good.
No tengo nada (de) bueno: I have nothing good.

_Un nada_ is used as a noun, as--

Un nada le asusta: A nothing frightens him.

_La nada_--nothingness.

[Footnote 187: "Morir" is conjugated like "dormir," but has its past part.
"muerto." N.B.--"Muerto" is also a double form of the past part. of
"matar" (to kill), as--Le han muerto: They have killed him.]

VOCABULARY.

=adeudar=, to debit, to pay (duty)
=atrasado=, in arrears, behind
=ce por be=, with all particulars, minutely
=chapas=, plates
*=contar=, to count, to relate
=discreto=, sensible, judicious, discreet
=dispensar=, to excuse
=echar á perder=, to spoil, to wreck
=empeoramiento=, turn for the worse
*=estar en poco de=, to be within an inch of
=grano de anis=, a trifling matter
*=hacer de las suyas=, to play one's pranks
*=hacer el obsequio=, to do the favour
=informe=, report
=mandar buscar=, to send for
=obligar=, to compel
*=obtener=, to obtain, to bring about
=pesado=, heavy
=quehaceres=, occupations, business
=reglamento=, regulation, bye-laws
=remesa=, remittance, shipment
=revista=, review
=rodajas (de goma)=, rubber heels (revolving)
=tacones (de goma)=, rubber heels (shaped)
=taller=, workshop
=tonto=, simpleton, foolish
=tornillos=, screws

EXERCISE 1 (75).

Translate into English--

1. Yo mismo escribo al Sr. Mendoza para decirle que puede hacer sus
pedidos á Vs. directamente pues, por mi parte no tengo inconveniente en
que así se haga.

2. Si dicho Señor envía pedidos ¿hace falta avisarle á V.?

3. Sí, la hace, y les ruego tengan la bondad de decírmelo á fin de poner
á Vs. en conocimiento de las condiciones en que deben hacerse las
remesas, etc.

4. ¿Hace ocho días que Ilegó el informe de la comisión?

5. Creo que no los hace todavía.

6. Tengo los muestrarios aquí, voy á dárselos á V.

7. Se los voy á devolver en seguida.

8. Nuestro agente y los corresponsales arreglarán esto entre ellos (_or_
entre sí).

9. Hace tres meses que no recibimos las revistas semanales de ese
mercado, las hemos pedido continuamente y siempre en balde.

10. Nuestros aduaneros cobran todo el peso (charge full weight) por sus
tacones y rodajas como si fuera goma solamente siendo así que vienen
juntos con sus chapas y tornillos, cuyos hierros, claro es, no debían
(deberían) adeudar el mismo derecho.

11. No sucedió nada de extraordinario para justificar su acción que en
poco estuvo de echarlo todo á perder.

12. Hágame V. el obsequio de contármelo todo, pues no es ningún grano de
anís.

13. Sentarse[188] pues y se lo contaré ce por be.

14. Dispense V. que le haya hecho esperar, tuve que despachar á mi
chauffeur.

15. Es V. muy dueño, pero acuérdese V. que primero los quehaceres y
después los placeres.

16. V. es hombre discrete y lo que es yo, soy un pobre ton to.

17. Vamos é ver de que se trata.

18. ¿Ha hecho V. alguna de las suyas?

[Footnote 188: Notice the Imperative Infinitive.]

EXERCISE 2 (76).

Translate into Spanish--

1. I regret having left the newspapers at the workshop, but I shall send
for them.

2. He regretted the turn for the worse in the market which compelled him
to request us to ask our friend for a guarantee.

3. English manufacturers are not asleep.

4. They have been asleep for many years but now they are wide awake (se
han despertado bien) to the necessity of adopting up-to-date methods
(modernos, á la altura de los tiempos) and adapting themselves to the
requirements of the consumers.

5. Manufacturers are selling every day but usually (generalmente) in
small lots.

6. Shirting makers want more money and find difficulty in getting it.

7. Dhooties (dhooties) and jacconets are now so well sold that producers
(productores) will only book (aceptan órdenes) at good prices.

8. Heavy textiles (telas) are too stiff for general attention (demasiado
firmes para atraer á los compradores) but makers are not hungry for
(ansiosos de obtener) orders.

9. Indian business was barely (apenas) of normal dimensions
(proporciones).

10. Will you set the books on that shelf (estante) and set (colocar)
those papers in order?

11. The term you have set me (fijado) is too short.

12. They ought to set a (dar) good example.

13. He set about it (puso mano á la obra) at once.

14. Setting aside the (prescindiendo del) fact that he is behind with
his payments, he does us great harm by running down (desacreditando) our
goods.

15. Winter has set in (principiado) and heavy cloths are in great
request.

16. I have set my mind on (me he decidido á) this venture.

17. A movement has been set on foot (iniciado) to bring about the
revision of the bye-laws.

Category: Study Spanish

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