Pronominal and Non-Pronominal Verbs
A pronominal verb always carries a pronoun that matches the subject: Decateime tarde (I realised too late). Some verbs that take one in Spanish are used without it in Galician: Morreu en 1990 (he died in 1990), Caeu da bici (she fell off her bike).
How It Works
Always with a pronoun. These verbs are listed in the dictionary as pronominal, so they always carry one:
- decatarse (de), to realise: Non me decatei.
- queixarse (de), to complain: Sempre se queixa do ruído.
- arrepentirse (de), to regret: Arrepentinme de non ir.
No pronoun in Galician. Several everyday verbs are used on their own where Spanish usually adds se:
- morrer, to die: O meu avó morreu en 1990.
- caer, to fall: Caeu da bici.
- marchar, to leave: Marchou sen despedirse.
- esvarar, to slip: Esvarei no chan mollado.
- adormecer, to fall asleep: Adormecín no sofá.
- calar, to go quiet: Calade un momento!
The pronoun changes the meaning. Rir means to laugh: Riu moito coa película. Rirse de means to make fun of someone: Riuse de min.
Why it matters. Adding se to morrer or caer is one of the most noticeable Spanish habits in Galician; see avoiding Spanish interference. For the pronoun forms, see reflexive verbs. An accident that happens to someone still takes no se with caer: Caeulle o vaso (he dropped the glass). Other verbs build that meaning with se, as in Esquecéuselle o paraugas; see accidental se.
Examples (6)
- Decateime tarde.
I realised too late.
Word by Word: Realised-myself late.
- O meu avó morreu en 1990.
My grandfather died in 1990.
Word by Word: The my grandfather died in 1990.
- Caeu da bici, pero non se fixo dano.
She fell off her bike, but she didn't hurt herself.
Word by Word: Fell from-the bike, but not herself did harm.
- Sempre se queixa do tempo.
He always complains about the weather.
Word by Word: Always himself complains of-the weather.
- Esvarei no chan mollado.
I slipped on the wet floor.
Word by Word: Slipped-I on-the floor wet.
- Adormecín vendo a película.
I fell asleep watching the film.
Word by Word: Fell-asleep-I watching the film.
Common Mistakes
Adding se to caer or morrer.
Caeuse da bici.Caeu da bici.In Galician, caer is used without a pronoun. The same is true of morrer: Morreu, not Morreuse.
Dropping the pronoun of a pronominal verb.
Non decatei.Non me decatei.Decatarse always needs a pronoun that matches the subject: me decatei, te decataches, se decatou.
Using rirse when you mean "to laugh".
Riuse moito coa película.Riu moito coa película.Rirse de means to make fun of someone. For simply laughing, use rir without a pronoun.
How It Connects
Learn This First
A reflexive-looking pronoun may be an obligatory lexical part of a verb or change its meaning.
Related Patterns
- pensar en / casar con / decatarse deVerbs with Fixed Prepositions
Decatarse also takes a fixed preposition: decatarse de algo.
Level 3 - Avoiding Spanish Interference
Adding se to verbs like caer and morrer is a typical Spanish-influenced error.
Level 4 - Accidental se
A separate construction where se and an indirect pronoun show an accident; with caer, only the indirect pronoun is used: Caeulle o vaso.
Level 3 - Reciprocal seEach Other: Reciprocal Se
Another job for the same pronouns: doing something to each other.
Level 3 - decatarse de queKeeping De Before Que
How decatarse keeps de before a que clause.
Level 5
Learn Next
Patterns that build on this one.
Practice Pronominal and Non-Pronominal Verbs in Bubblegum
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