Tricky Transitive Translations       

                         by Kelly Craig Walling

   You pay people for things (or services),

 

 

 

 

 

 you |give|lend|sell|show|bring|teach|send|write|sing|offer|get* people things (with the name of the direct object) and

 you |give|lend|sell|show|bring|teach|send|write|sing|offer|get* things  to people (with a pronoun for the direct object).

 You need to know the difference between I will and I'm going to before translating these:

1.a) Voy a pagar las copas al camarero.

      b) No, pago yo.



 2. Voy a pagar el viaje al taxista.
                                       
  

                                    

Las copas: the drinks

       El camarero: the bartender
                                             El taxista: the taxi driver
                                             El viaje: the trip, the ride

 ☞ Since you need a direct object: You can't sell people- that's slavery: I sell you.
        If you have the title of the noun, the 1st format usually sounds better (Give me the gun) Also, you don't usually use the 1st format with a pronoun for the direct object: I'll give you it.

Translate:

3. a) ¡Dáselo!





        b) Vale se lo doy.
                

  4.a) Mañana voy a vender
        mi coche a tu hermano.






  


b) Hoy voy a comprar 5 coches.
                                   

  5. a) ¿Me prestas 100 euros?
                                     


b) Vale, mañana te los presto.

6. Enséñame como lo haces.




                   

You | take | buy | borrow | steal | learn | things from people.





 

  ☞ Unlike the last chart, this one has no alternatives. You shouldn't steal people; that is kidnapping. They stole me. You shouldn't buy people (slavery). I buy you. You can colloquially borrow Jim from Jane for a project, if you promise to give him back to her. You can "take" people which means give them a ride. You can take someone to a place or (away) from a place.

        Translate:
    

   7. ¡Te la vamos a quitar!
                                                  

 8. Si Usted vende su coche, se lo compramos.









9. a) Mañana voy a pedir prestado 5 mil euros al banco.




 b) Mañana se los voy a pedir prestado.

 10.a) Emborracha a su exmarido y le roba 240.000 euros.



b) Ayer se los robó.




emborrachar a alguien: to get someone drunk

  ☞ You may hear a colloquial take/buy/borrow/steal off or off of someone, etc.,but you cannot learn off someone. That is an oxymoron. These are very native complications. I recommend against them.





        11. Translate into Spanish: I teach the Spanish Spanish and English to the English.
                


Translation Key:
     1. a) I'm going to pay the bartender for the drinks
        b)No, I'll pay.
     2. I'm going to pay the taxi driver for the trip.
     3. a) Give it to him!
        b) Okay, I'll give it to him.
    4. a) I'm going to sell my car to your brother tomorrow.
        b) Today, I'm going to buy 5 cars.
     5. a) Could/can/will/would you lend me 100 euros?
        b) Okay (fine), I'll lend it to you tomorrow.
     6. Show me how you do it.
     7. We're going to take it (away) from you!
     8. If you sell your car, we'll buy it from you.
     9. a) I'm going to borrow 5,000 euros from the bank tomorrow.
        b) I'm going to borrow it from them tomorrow.
   10. a) She gets her ex-husband drunk and steals 240,000 euros from him.
         b) She stole it from him yesterday.
   11. Enseño el español a los españoles e inglés a los ingleses.