Spanish · A2 · Family moment
Finding your place as a big sibling in Spanish
Supporting an older child during the transition of a new baby requires reassurances of love and belonging. This guide focuses on verbs where the person affected is the indirect object (dative), a common structure in Spanish for expressing feelings and possession.
What you'll learn
- Use verbs like 'gustar' and 'pertenecer' where the subject and object feel 'swapped' compared to English.
- Express helpfulness and belonging using indirect object pronouns (me, te, le).
- Identify the person receiving the action in a sentence.
Spanish phrases for finding your place as a big sibling
¿Te puedo ayudar con tu tarea especial?
Can I help you with your special job?
Uses 'te' (you) as the object of help.
Me estás ayudando mucho hoy.
You are helping me a lot today.
'Me' represents the parent being helped.
¿Te gusta el gorrito divertido del bebé?
Does the baby's funny hat appeal to you?
'Gustar' literally means 'to be pleasing to'.
Me gusta nuestro tiempo especial juntos.
I like our special time together.
'Nuestro tiempo' is the subject here.
Este conejo todavía te pertenece.
This rabbit still belongs to you.
'Pertenecer' always indicates who it belongs to with 'a' or a pronoun.
La mantita le pertenece al bebé.
The tiny blanket belongs to the baby.
'Le' and 'al bebé' both point to the recipient.
¿Te hace falta mamá cuando está arriba?
Do you miss Mum when she is upstairs?
'Hacer falta' is a common way to express missing someone using the dative.
Tú también me haces falta cuando estoy en el trabajo.
I miss you when I am at work too.
Literally: 'You make a lack to me'.
Hear these phrases and practise them
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Try it free for 7 daysKey words
Tarea
Job / Task / Homework
Used here for a 'special job' or responsibility.
Gorrito
Little hat
The suffix -ito makes it 'tiny' or 'cute'.
Mantita
Little blanket
Diminutive of 'manta'.
Hacer falta
To be missed / To be necessary
A phrase used to show someone is lacking or missed.
Verbs with Indirect Objects (Dative)
In Spanish, verbs like 'gustar' (to like), 'pertenecer' (to belong), and 'hacer falta' (to miss) focus on the person affected by the action. This person is represented by pronouns like 'me', 'te', or 'le'. The 'thing' is actually the subject that performs the action on the person.
| Use | Form | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Person (Dative) | Me / Te / Le | Me gusta (It pleases me) |
| Thing (Subject) | El conejo / La mamá | Te pertenece el conejo. |
More examples
Le falta un juguete al niño.
The boy is missing a toy.
'Le' refers to 'al niño'.
Esa idea me gusta mucho.
I like that idea a lot.
Focuses on the idea being pleasing to the parent.