Pronoun placement

[hwils66]

I am confused on when to place a pronoun before the verb or after it. If I wanted to say: "Give the me hole punch", would I say "me da el perforadora" or "dame el perforadora?"

Thanks

Howard

[Rusty]

Give me is a command, or an imperative. In the imperative, pronouns are suffixed. Note that the originally stressed syllable of the imperative must be retained through the addition of pronouns!

Dame la perforadora. (Dar is a single-syllable verb, so suffixing the indirect object pronoun me to it doesn't change which syllable is stressed - the normal second-to-the-last syllable is stressed, and this means the only syllable of the imperative receives the stress.)
Dámela. (Give it to me. The addition of both the direct and indirect object pronouns requires an accent in the imperative to retain the original stress. Without the accent, the second-to-the-last syllable would fall on the indirect object and the command could be misunderstood.)

If you want to say, "Are you giving me the hole punch," you would be using the indicative, present tense (asking a question, of course). In that case, the object pronouns precede the verb:
¿Me da la perforadora?
¿Me la da?

[hwils66]

Thanks! Don't know why I treated it as masculine. I know better.

[Tomisimo]

I might add that something like "¿Me da la perforadora?" is an extremely common way to request something and commanding someone to give it to you. It is literally "Are you giving me the hole punch?" or "Do you give me the hole punch?", but it is used in the same way we would use "Can you/will you give me the hole punch?" in English.

[Elaina]

Hey! How about......

¿Me das la cosa esa que hace hoyitos, por favor?

[Tomisimo]

You've been around native speakers too much.

[Planet hopper]

Very good, Elaina

Los hoyitos son los dimples. If you find a machine making dimples, let me know, I can do with one on each cheek

[Elaina]

Pueden ser hoyitos de hoyo y no hoyitos de dimples!

[Elaina]

Dimples = hoyuelos (not hoyitos!!)

[Jessica]

my spanish and yours will both improve ^^

[Sr. Johnson]

I think for English speaking people that it's important to remember to steer clear of the imperative forms in polite conversation. At that all important dinner with your dream girl's parents and grandparents, you'd be better off saying "¿Me pass Vd. la sal? instead of using an imperative form: Páseme la sal. I found this out in Spain, though not with the girl of my dream alas. I think it comes from the emphasis that is given to imperative forms in our Spanish II classes because they are one of the first break aways from the present tense that pervades Spanish I.

[JPablo]

Yes, although "¿Me pasa Vd. la sal?" is quite formal and polite... at a family reunion (dreams or no dreams) I'd go with "¿Me pasas la sal [por favor]? Or, "¿Me pasarías la sal?" "¿Podrías/Puedes pasarme la sal?"

I take each situation would require different expressions, but if you put your foot in your mouth, you can always politely take it out... As long as you try to speak the language, that in itself is quite complimentary...

My (devaluated at that!)

[Esppiral]

Originally Posted by Elaina

Hey! How about......

¿Me das la cosa esa que hace hoyitos, por favor?

Me ha encantado tu traducción, de verdad xD, 100% como hablaría un nativo español