Spanish language learning forums

Spanish language learning forums (https://forums.tomisimo.org/index.php)

- Grammar (https://forums.tomisimo.org/forumdisplay.php?f=19)

- - Se me acabó (https://forums.tomisimo.org/showthread.php?t=16239)

1) Como usar “acabarse?” Dice “se me acabó el dinero” o “acabó el dinero?” Cual es la diferencia?
2) “Buscamos una persona que organice programas de recliclaje.” Por qué no utiliza “buscamos a una persona” aquí?

1) The use of "acabarse" depends on what you want to say.

· Se me acabó el dinero. -> I ran out of money. (It happened to me.)
· Me acabé el dinero. -> I spent all my money. (I did it.)

"Acabó el dinero" doesn't make much sense. I think that anything that suggests an idea of wearing out or wasting away needs the pronominal. :thinking:

But sometimes you can use the verb with or without the pronominal without altering the meaning of the sentence. "Se" adds emphasis in those cases.
- ¿Ya (se) acabó la película? -> Is the movie over?
- ¡Acaba/acábate la sopa! -> Finish your soup now!
- (Me) acabo de encontrar a Pedro en el elevador. -> I have just met Pedro in the elevator.

And there are cases when you must not use the pronominal. Like when you accomplish something.
- Mamá, ya acabé la tarea. -> Mom, I've finished my homework. (The difference with the soup one is that the "se" stresses that you swallow it and it kind of becomes a part of you, while the homework stays "apart" from you.)
- No he acabado el reporte y el jefe lo necesita en diez minutos. -> I haven't finished the report and the boss needs it in ten minutes.
- Parecía que el corredor no iba a acabar la carrera. -> We thought the runner wouldn't finish the race.

2) Sometimes people are de-personalized. :D
Seriously, I think it's a mistake. ;)

Quote:

Originally Posted by ratoygato (Post 138792)

1) ¿Cómo se usa “acabarse”? ¿Se dice “se me acabó el dinero” o “acabó el dinero”? ¿Cuál es la diferencia?
2) “Buscamos una persona que organice programas de recliclaje.” ¿Por qué no se utiliza “buscamos a una persona” aquí?

1) The words 'se me acabó' mean 'I ran out of' (transliterate as 'it ran out on me'). Without the indirect object pronoun (me), it means 'it ran out' and refers to an antecedent, like 'el dinero'. So, 'se acabó el dinero' means 'the money ran out'. I don't think you'd see the second sentence, the one written without the reflexive pronoun.

2) Some verbs allow you the option of using or not using the personal 'a'. 'Buscar' is one of those verbs. So, you can use 'buscamos una persona' or 'buscamos a una persona'.
Look here, at 1.1.h.