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He asked vs he was asked

 

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  #1  
Old November 28, 2020, 11:47 AM
Sang Sang is offline
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He asked vs he was asked

I can´t make sense of how "se le preguntó" translated into "he was asked" when for example "se le olvidó" translated into simply "he forgot". Should "se le preguntó" be translated into "he asked"?
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  #2  
Old November 28, 2020, 12:01 PM
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"He asked" is an active voice construction in English. The subject is 'he.' The active voice equivalent is "Él preguntó" in Spanish.

"He was asked" is a passive voice construction in English. One of the equivalents in Spanish is "se le preguntó (a él)," an example of the pasiva refleja construction.
(The voz pasiva (passive voice) equivalent would be "Él fue preguntado.")
"Se le olvidó" is an example of the "no-fault se" construction in Spanish. Its literal translation is '(it) forgot itself on him.' No comparison can be made between a no-fault construction and the pasiva refleja.
The pronoun se is used in several Spanish constructions, all yielding a different English translation.

Last edited by Rusty; November 28, 2020 at 03:33 PM. Reason: augmented
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Old November 28, 2020, 01:27 PM
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I agree with Rusty.
"Se" has several meanings and uses.
You may find a useful discussion here.
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Old December 03, 2020, 11:23 PM
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it made sense, thanks Rusty!
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Old December 03, 2020, 11:47 PM
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