Desplomar vs. desplomarse

[laepelba]

Is the common use of this verb always reflexive, or is it also frequently used transitively? Thanks!

[chileno]

hmmm

Is common in both ways.

[laepelba]

Great. Thanks!

[JPablo]

I agree with Chileno, to a certain degree... because the transitive use is way less common than the intransitive. I.e., the tr. usage is more in the field of building trades and so forth... (if you know what I mean...)

[Perikles]

For what it's worth, my dictionary gives only deplomarse, not deplomar. There seems to be a similarity with English, in that to collapse is usually intransitive, but is also used transitively meaning 'to cause to collapse' as in I collapsed the pack of cards which sounds wrong to me.

[laepelba]

I agree with you, Perikles. The RAE only has displomar. And Word-Reference only has disiplomarse. Both make a lot of sense to me.

So it would be equally common to hear: Se displomó el edificio.
As it would be to hear: Construí un torre de cubos y después mi sobrino lo displomó.
??

[JPablo]

Originally Posted by laepelba

I agree with you, Perikles. The RAE only has desplomar. And Word-Reference only has desplomarse. Both make a lot of sense to me.

So it would be equally common to hear: Se desplomó el edificio.
As it would be to hear: Construí un torre de cubos y después mi sobrino lo desplomó.
??

Yes, but with "e"!

It would be more common "lo derrumbó", but "desplomó" or "hizo que se desplomara" would not be incorrect... oops, wait, wait, sorry NO, that usage of "lo desplomó" is not correct. You could say, "el albañil novato desplomó el muro, al no tener experiencia" (meaning he made "to go out of plumb"), "y eso hizo que luego se derrumbara..."

(I wrote as I was thinking, so I leave it as is... but I hope I am clear...)

As a note, one little boy used to say "se cayó" (consciously saying it with the impersonal "se", when it was more than obvious that he was the active agent of the action!)

[AngelicaDeAlquezar]

Despite of what the DRAE says, I only know the use of the verb as a pronominal ("desplomarse"). And I have never heard "desplomar algo", but "hacer que algo se desplome".

- Los fuertes vientos hicieron que el avión se desplomara.
- El avión se desplomó por los fuertes vientos.

- El terremoto hizo que se desplomaran varios edificios.
- Varios edificios se desplomaron a consecuencia del terremoto.

- La falta de inteligencia del rey Cucufato II hizo que su reinado se desplomara a los dos años de haber asumido el poder.
- El rey Cucufato II vio su reinado desplomarse en dos años sin saber ni cómo ocurrió.

[laepelba]

First of all - :doh:!!!! I know how to spell it and how to say it. Don't know where the *i* came from....

Secondly, it seems to me that everyone agrees that desplomarse is perfectly well used, but the question seems to be about the transitive use. So I will try to use this word in a pronominal sense. I like the word - and want to incorporate it into my practical vocabulary.

It REALLY helps to keep in mind the reference to keeping something in plumb. There are a lot of metaphorical references to plumb lines that I appreciate, so the connection resonates with me.

THANKS, all!!