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Verse + Participio |
As discussed previously, English continually uses the verb 'to be' to form passive constructions in both formal and informal register, e.g. 'I was told he had been killed'. Spanish, meanwhile, especially in informal register, tends to use other constructions such as third-person plural impersonal (e.g. lo mataron), the pasiva refleja (e.g. se hizo tarde) or quedarse, resultar and verse+participio (e.g. se quedó sorprendido, resultó herido, se vio obligado).
Verse+participio can often be used instead of the verb ser (or estar) when forming passive-like constructions with participles that denote resulting state changes (e.g. transformado, trastocado, ampliado, etc.), especially those where someone finds themselves benefiting or losing out from something (afectado, beneficiado, compensado, engañado, humillado, frustrado, etc.). The use of verse denotes the manifestation or visible presence of said state.1
-Al poco tiempo nos rodearon los soldados enemigos [Focus on the action]
→Al poco rato nos vimos rodeados de soldados enemigos —We were soon surrounded by enemy troops [Focus on state change and resulting state]
-Es una novela sobre un hombre que está envuelto en una trama peligrosa
→Es una novela sobre un hombre que se ve envuelto en una trama peligrosa — It's a novel about a man who is/finds himself caught up in a dangerous plot [Focus on resulting state]
The other main use of verse is with participles that denote obligation, influence, and states in which one is forced to act (obligado, tentado, forzado, etc. - similar to 'to find oneself' in English).2
-Jackie se vio obligada a tomar medidas — Jackie was forced to take measures
-Jackie, al morir su marido, se ve atrapada en un bucle de contradicciones — Jackie, upon the death of her husband, finds herself trapped in a cycle of contradictions
-Ante el desastre bélico, se vio tentado de lanzar un grito desgarrador — In the face of a military disaster, he was tempted to let out a heartbreaking cry
- For quedarse+participio see discussion.
En La Prensa
Las Cofradías, los empresarios y el Ayuntamiento hemos hecho un esfuerzo tremendo que se ha visto compensado con el aumento del número de visitantes» La Opinión de Murcia-Apr 18, 2017
Se trata del tercer encuentro consecutivo en el que los carbayones se vieron obligados a retocar su defensa por lesión. La Nueva España-12 hours ago
In Español-Avanzado Articles
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-Verse + Participio-
