SE enfático en España: comerse/saberse/creerse en contexto

Reflexive emphasis in Spain: when to use comerse/saberse/creerse; 3-item practice.

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Dannis

2 min reading time

Colloquialisms and slang Driving and driving classes Verbs Idioms

Keywords:

comerse un atasco Me sé las señales No me lo creo beberse un café antes del examen

Elige la opción natural en España: “Ayer ____ un atasco de una hora camino al trabajo.”

Correct: 0/8

Hints for this Quiz

Think of the pattern comerse + noun: "to eat" in the figurative sense of "to endure/put up with (something unpleasant)."

Correct: "nos comimos un atasco". The idiom comerse + sustantivo = "to swallow/put up with something unpleasant". Without "se" it sounds unnatural. Compare colloquial "comerse un marrón" — "to take on an unpleasant task / get stuck with a problem."

Look for the form that conveys the idea of "finishing it completely" as a habit.

Better "se bebe" — the reflexive form highlights that she finishes the cup / drinks it up (a completive aspect). In Spanish culture there is even "el cafelito" — a little coffee break, very typical.

The set phrase for "I don’t believe it" with the pronouns "me… lo…".

Colloquial disbelief: "No me lo creo". In Spanish this is often strengthened with expressions like "¡Venga ya!" or "Ni de coña" (very colloquial).

The reflexive form "saberse" often means "I know it by heart".

"Saberse" = to know by heart. "Me sé las señales" highlights that they are learned/memorized. "Sé las señales" is possible but sounds less clearly like "I know them by heart".

Compare a neutral action vs. an action you "carried through to the end".

The reflexive "me bebí" adds the nuance of "I managed/finished them completely". Non‑reflexive "bebí" is a neutral description of the fact, without focusing on completion.

Think of the fixed expression "comerse un atasco" (not "comer").

You need the reflexive: "nos comimos un atasco". Without "se" the sentence sounds odd. The article "el" (option 3) is possible in a very specific context ("that particular traffic jam"), but people usually say "un atasco". This follows the colloquial pattern comerse + noun (cf. "comerse un marrón").

Clitic order: me + las + verbo; and remember the verb "saberse".

The best option is "me las sé": the clitic order is correct and it emphasizes "I know them by heart". "Las sé" is grammatically possible, but without the nuance of confidence/being fully learned.

A very colloquial marker of disbelief is "ni de coña"; then "no me lo creo".

Colloquial skepticism/disbelief: "Ni de coña" + "no me lo creo" sounds natural in Spain to express strong "I don’t believe it at all".