Modern Spanish Grammar: A Practical Guide

(lily) #1

26.2.2.3 Withde
Verbs in this category often have a rather negative meaning. They include a substantial
number of reflexive verbs. Examples are:


acabar: Acabamos de contestar.
We have just replied.
acordarse: Me acordé de ir a la reunión.
I remembered to go to the meeting.

alegrarse: Me alegro de saberlo.
I’m glad to know.

arrepentirse: ¿Te arrepientes de hacerlo?
Are you sorry you did it?
avergonzarse: Me avergoncé de haber callado el asunto.
I was ashamed of having kept the matter quiet.

cansarse: No me canso nunca de pintar.
I never get tired of painting.
dejar: ¡Deja de llorar!
Stop crying!

olvidarse: ¡No te olvides de hacerlo!
Don’t forget to do it!

terminar: ¿Has terminado de cantar?
Have you finished singing?
tratar: Trata de recordar.
Try to remember.

In all the above cases, the subject of the main verb is the same as the implied subject
of the infinitive complement. Some of these verbs (alegrarse and avergonzarse) also
take a sentence complement with que and the subjunctive when the subjects are
different, e.g.:

Me alegro de que hayas venido.
I’m pleased you have come.

NOTE The de is preserved before the que in such a construction.

But there are also a small number of verbs with de whose infinitive complement does
not have the same implied subject as that of the main verb. Two are:

acusar: Me habían acusado de no decir la verdad.
They had accused me of not telling the truth.
disuadir: No te dejes disuadir de actuar de esa manera.
Don’t let yourself be dissuaded from acting in that way.

26.2.2.4 Withen
The following are examples of verbs which take en with an infinitive complement:


COMPLEMENTATION 26.2

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