The Spanish Verb - Part 3

Ser and Estar. Such expressions as "Smoking is prohibited," etc., are translated either "Es prohibido fumar" or "Está prohibido fumar." Both translations are grammatically correct ("Está prohibido fumar" is the general expression in this particular case).

If we say "Es prohibido fumar," we are referring to the "doer" of the action: "Es prohibido por la ley, por la policia, por los jefes, etc., etc."--a case of passive voice.

If we say "Está prohibido fumar" we have no "doer" in our mind, but only the thing itself = a case of "a condition of things" resulting from the action (the prohibition).

EXAMPLE:

• El fumar es prohibido por el jefe, por esto está prohibido fumar en nuestro despacho: Smoking is prohibited by our employer (viz., our employer prohibits smoking), therefore it is not allowed in our office.

The above example is given for the sake of illustration by contrast; in practice, of course, such oddities are avoided.

The English expressions, "It is I, you, he, we, they, who ..." must be rendered in Spanish by "Soy yo, es V., somos nosotros, etc., quien or quienes ..."; i.e., the English impersonal "it is" must be made personal in Spanish.

We said that verbs may have a different government in the two languages, as:

• Colgar de un clavo: To hang on a nail.
• Entrar en una casa: To enter a house.

This, one of the points for which rules cannot be laid, belongs to the idiom of the language, and practice is the only master (see Appendix V for a list of the most conspicuous differences) In reading, together with the meaning of a verb, ascertain its government.

Some peculiarities of Spanish verbs:

Acabar de, followed by an infinitive, translates the English "to have just," followed by a past participle, as:

• Acaba de flotarse una sociedad: A company has just been floated.

Acertar á, followed by an infinitive, translates "to happen," as:

• Acertaron á pasar cuando ella estaba asomada á la ventana: They happened to pass when she was looking out of the window.
• Acertó a ser viernes aquel día: That day happened to be a Friday.

Alegrarse de, Celebrar--"to be glad to," "to rejoice at.", as:

• Me alegro mucho de la noticia; Celebro mucho la noticia: I am glad of the news.

Before an infinitive de is omitted after "alegrarse," as:

• Me alegro decirle: I am glad to tell you.

Caber (see Lesson XXX - Conjunctions and Interjections) is used figuratively in many locutions:

• No cabe en nosotros tal acción: We are not capable of such an action.
• No cabe en sí de gozo: He is beside himself with joy.
• Le cupo el premio gordo: it was his lot or luck to get the chief prize.
• No se puede saber lo que le cabrá á uno en suerte: One cannot know what one's lot will be.
• Esta tela es de calidad que no cabe más: This cloth is perfection itself.
• No caber en sí: To be puffed up with pride.

Ir - to go

Salir - to go out