In this sentence:
Si se lo merecen
What is the role of "se" and "lo"?
Direct object and indirect object?
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7The best way to learn is that you try to answer that yourself and rephrase the question as "I think they are this and that because of XYZ..." and then the community tells you "you are correct" or "part of that is incorrect because blablabla, here's why and what you need to know".– DiegoMar 4, 2020 at 18:20
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1Does this answer your question? What is the role of the "le" in the sentence "Miguel le dio a su novia un anillo."?– DGaleanoMar 5, 2020 at 1:31
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2@DGaleano: The question is not the same as the one you have linked because there is not pronominal redundancy here. "Se" has the role of an etic dative: there is something about this in my answer, but it's a different phenomenon as the one found in the sentence "Miguel le dio a su novia un anillo".– CharoMar 5, 2020 at 8:51
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2Please, do NOT vote to close this question as a duplicate of the one DGaleano linked (for some reason). The questions are clearly different.– OnlyThenDidIReckonMyCurseMar 5, 2020 at 9:13
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There is a somewhat superficial explanation of what an etic dative is in this anwser (see the example "Se bebieron toda la cerveza"), but I think this question may be an excellent opportunity to go more deeply into this subject in an anwser.– CharoMar 6, 2020 at 9:23
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1 Answer
The pronoun "lo" (not to be confused with the article "lo", e.g.: "Lo esencial es invisible a los ojos") is almost always the direct object wherever it appears (some use "lo" as an indirect object. This is called "loísmo". "Loísmo" is very uncommon, and usually considered wrong).
As for "se", it is usually an indirect object, but some verbs, called pronominal verbs, require "se" (and "me", "te", "nos" and "os") as particles without any real meaning. These pronouns are usually considered to be part of the verb in this case. "Merecer" is typically used as a pronominal verb in informal settings, as is the case here. However, you can drop the "se" with no change in meaning: "si lo merecen".
answered Mar 4, 2020 at 18:23
OnlyThenDidIReckonMyCurseOnlyThenDidIReckonMyCurse
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There is a somewhat superficial explanation of what an etic dative is in this anwser (see the example "Se bebieron toda la cerveza"), but I think this question may be an excellent opportunity to go more deeply into this subject.– CharoMar 6, 2020 at 9:24
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In "Se bebieron toda la cerveza", "se" does intensify the degree of responsibility of the subject. The DLE doesn't consider "beber" a pronominal verb. However, I don't think the "se" in "merecerse" intensifies the degree of responsibility of the subject. The DLE says that "merecer" is used as a pronominal verb ("U. t. c. prnl."). Is the "se" in pronominal verbs also an ethical dative? I'm not completely sure. Mar 6, 2020 at 9:58
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