No traga

No traga
 

I know it means doesn't drink, but I believe it may mean doesn't like
in Spain. Is this true? If so, is this phrase used outside Spain?

It can have different meanings depending on the context. "Tragar" means to swallow.

- ¿Cómo es que no hablaste con Juan?
- Es que no lo trago.
i.e. The second speaker can't stand Juan.

- Intentaron engañarle pero no tragó.
i.e. He didn't fall for it.

That's interesting - you can say He didn't swallow it in English. I guess this is taken from fishing, where a fish doesn't swallow the bait. If somebody is completely taken in, you say he swallowed it hook, line and sinker. :)

I agree with Ambarina:

"No tragar a alguien" means that one can't stand a person.

"No tragarse un cuento" means that one doesn't believe a story. :)

Then how is @Ambarina correct here? :thinking:

Read again. :)

Thank you. Now I know that no trago a ... is an international phrase.:thumbsup:

OK - I've read it again. To fall for it needs a pronominal verb tragarse. Where's the pronoun? :thinking:

Caer=pisar el palito= to fall for it.

Does it need a pronoun?

Le hice una broma a Luis, pero (él) no cayó.

No, I guess not, but @Angelica's post said with tragar you do need the pronoun. :thinking:

Better? :)

Absolutely clear. Then what does this mean:

Intentaron engañarle pero no tragó.

If it means ...he didn't fall for it, where is the pronoun of tragarse? :)

Perikles, I guess mine was not the best example but I'll try to give a plausible explanation.

In all the other sentences put forward we have "el cuento" defined, i.e. Le contaron un cuento pero no se lo tragó. Therefore the pronominal form is used and this is the most common usage, BTW.
Another example: No me trago lo que acabas de decir - I don't believe what you've just said. Again, there's a DO (what you've just said)

However in my sentence, I just stated that they tried to deceive him but did not specify how; it could have been verbally or physically. So, you couldn't you the "se" because the person would be literally swallowing himself, and you can't use the "lo" because you haven't got anything preceding to refer to.

Then again, it could just be colloquial usage and someone may rap my knuckles :)

Thanks - are you saying then that the pronominal verb cannot be used in that sense without a direct object, because then it becomes reflexive? (i.e. the se must refer to a specific object, otherwise it has to mean self) ? :)

Exactly.
Intentaron engañarle pero no se tragó, does not make sense.

Many thanks @Ambarina and everyone - I think I've actually learned something. :rose::rose::crazy:

It could means a lot of things.

Eso no traga que?

It doesn't drink something.

It doesn't eats something.

Please if you can give us more details.

Who, according to you said that? Angelica? How so? Ah, one more question...:rolleyes:

It would be correct if it was written as:

Intentaron engañarle pero no se la tragó.

o

Intentaron engañarle pero no picó.

In this post:

That's why I translated this. See what written in red

Where would those phrases need a pronoun?

Unless you are thinking in English, and that would be it.

:)