Ir vs Irse

I attended Jackie's Duolingo class again, albeit late. Joyce was there, but so was Cheriz! That was a nice surprise. I find Jackie's classes very different. I suppose that some of that has to do with her being an anthropologist. In my experience I've found that scientists have a unique perspective on everything. Perhaps because they've put so much time into one subject that it colors everything else. At any rate, I find Jackie very likable and the fact that her daughter enjoys spending time with her says a lot too.

I missed the first part of class but the second part was very interesting. She went into great detail about the difference between the verbs ir and irse. Here are her notes, which I also find extremely helpful.

The Verb Ir vs. Irse

•By itself, without the reflexive form,irmeans “to go”

•In the reflexive form of the verb,irsemeans “to leave”, “to go away”, “to take oneself somewhere else”, also implying “to be gone away from here”

-Using the pronoun tú(you informal):

•tú vas- “you (informal) go” (loosely translates also as you’re going)

•tú te vas- “you (informal) leave”, or “you go away”, that is, you take yourself somewhere (else), or you’re going to be gone (away from here)

-¡Te vas de vacaciones todo el mes!- You're going on vacation all month!•You’re going to be gone on vacation all month! As in away (from here or me)! and thathas a whole different emotionalflavor than saying:

-Vas de vacaciones por un mes.- You’re going on vacation for a month. That’s pretty neutral in emotional terms, which doesn’t necessarily have an emotional impact on me, and I don’t necessarily feel you’re leaving me behind.

Another student asked Jackie the question about using Duolingo and YouTube and getting confused as a beginner student. Jackie's answer was to stick with Duolingo for now as she's seen improvement with students who have and if she were to recommend a YouTube channel it would be SuperHolly. She said she thought she was an excellent Spanish teacher. So I end with a video from her that I was actually already watching earlier. I had a conversation with someone about words or expressions that don't translate well to Spanish, like 'bucket list'.

Pa' qué

Continuing with Track #74

Another need for the mood tense is after para que, which means so that. For example,

• We have cooked so that (in order that) they eat. - Hemos cocinado para que coman.

Volver means to go back or to return (related to revolve). 

• I return - vuelvo
• You return (informal) - vuelves
• So that you return - para que vuelvas (using the mood tense)

If you want to say I have done it so that you return. The version of hacer after haber is hecho (which als means fact).

• I have done it so that you return - Lo he hecho para que vuelvas
• They have done it so that we come back - Lo han hecho para que volvamos

Sometimes you will hear para que abbreviated to pa' que

Finally, Mihalis reminds us that the word for so is tan. The word for also is tambien, which includes tan, though the 'n' changed to an 'm'. Literally tambien is so well, or as well. Which will help me remember tan, because I don't have a problem remembering tambien. Likely because I use it a lot in conversation.

• so that you also return - para que vuelvas tu tambien or para que tambien vuelvas

This video I include so I can remember the song my friend Karen told me about. She suggested it after I told her about how cute the video was for La Melodía and the story about the childhood friends meeting up again as adults. This video is literally the story of childhood friends falling in love and growing old together. It's very sweet. 

Encontrar vs Encontrarse

Track #74 of Language Transfer Review. Mihalis introduces us to the verb elegir which means to choose (related to election). I choose is eligo, and if you notice, instead of splitting when it's stressed the 'e' changes to an 'i'.

• We choose - elegimos (not stressed, so the 'e' stays as an 'e')
• You choose (informal) - eliges

So if we were to say - I don't want you to choose for me. or I don't want you to choose on behalf of me. We would use the mood tense - No quiero que eligas por mi.

Romper means to break (related to rupture, corrupt, disrupt). Romperse means it breaks or it breaks itself. 

• No quiero que rompa - you're waiting to hear what you don't want broken
• No quiero que lo rompa - I don't want him to break it.
• No quiero que se rompa - I don't want it to break.

Encontrar means to find, whereas encontrarse means to meet up. Which is a word I need to try to use more often, since I'm always trying to use conocer. During conversation it still doesn't come to mind to use the reflexive form of this verb. If we want to say:

• We have met up in order to speak. - Nos hemos encontrado para hablar.

Finally, I include this video of the song I sang for the homework last Saturday. La Melodía by Joey Montana