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Quiero saldar la deuda que me deben

 

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  #1  
Old September 13, 2020, 09:48 AM
Tyrn Tyrn is offline
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Quiero saldar la deuda que me deben

Hi,

What does the subj exactly mean, and why? Saldar sounds like (I want) to pay, me deben like due to me (they owe me). Something is not what it looks like. Which way the sum of debt is supposed to travel?

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Tú puedes cobrarles la deuda que me deben.

Last edited by Tyrn; September 13, 2020 at 10:48 AM.
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  #2  
Old September 13, 2020, 07:57 PM
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AngelicaDeAlquezar AngelicaDeAlquezar is online now
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For me, the usage is wrong, because "saldar" always means to pay, and in this example, I'd use the verb "cobrar" instead, but it may be a regional preference.

It's understood in context, and it would mean the person is going to collect the money or whatever is owed to them.

- Debemos saldar la deuda que tenemos con nuestros niños.
We must repay the moral debt we have with our children.
- Tuve que vender mi coche para saldar el préstamo.
I had to sell my car to repay the loan.
- Vine a saldar mi deuda contigo.
I came to pay off what I owe you.


"Cobrarles" is fine in the second example. The other person is more capable of collecting the money (or whatever the object of the debt is) that someone else owes to the speaker.
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Last edited by AngelicaDeAlquezar; September 14, 2020 at 08:07 PM.
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Old September 14, 2020, 02:24 AM
Tyrn Tyrn is offline
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Another problem:

Tú puedes cobrarles la deuda que me deben.

les points to those who must pay, or so it seems to me.

From the SpanishDict:

Cóbrese mi cena y la de la señorita, por favor. Charge me for my dinner and for the lady's, please.

Here, on the contrary, se points to the person who gets the money. Is it possible?
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Old September 14, 2020, 09:01 PM
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AngelicaDeAlquezar AngelicaDeAlquezar is online now
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Yes, in the sentence, "cobrarles" is used to say that you have the power to make the people, that both the speaker and you know, repay what they owe me. The speaker wants you to collect the amount of the debt from them.


"Cóbrese" is different. Here, it's asking, as you understood, to charge the speaker for both dinners.
"Cobrarse", when used in a reflexive form (or so it seems to me), it means to take a sum of money or a compensation for a service or an inconvenience (or a mere revenge); and in these contexts, it means to charge. The person is taking the money (even if it's from someone else) and paying themselves.


-Juan se cobró el favor que me hizo y tomó dinero del préstamo.
Juan paid himself back for the favor he did to me and took money from the loan.


- Ganamos el partido y nos cobramos de todas las veces que perdimos.
We won the match and took revenge from all those times we lost.


- Deposité un cheque y el banco se cobró lo que debía. Me dejaron sin dinero.
I deposited a cheque and the bank took from there what I owed them. They took all my money.


- El protagonista de la película se cobró el asesinato de su perro liquidando a todos los matones de la banda.
The main character in the movie took revenge for the killing of his dog by murdering all the members of the gang.


- Cóbrese la cuenta y 10% de propina.
Charge the amount of the check plus a tip of 10%.
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Last edited by AngelicaDeAlquezar; September 15, 2020 at 05:12 PM.
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Old September 15, 2020, 04:35 AM
Tyrn Tyrn is offline
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Thank you very much, Angelica!
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