Gramatica: no te hagas el bobo?

Question

> No te hagas el bobo = Don't act like a fool No te me hagas el bobo = Don't act like a fool (but it has a different emphasis that is impossible to explain) Could anyone please explain the differences?

Answer 1

Let's break down the difference between "No te hagas el bobo" and the non-standard "No te me hagas el bobo."

1. No te hagas el bobo: This is a common expression that means "Don't act like a fool" or "Don't play dumb." It's a direct request or warning to someone not to behave in a foolish manner or pretend to be ignorant/innocent. The structure is straightforward: "No te hagas" is the negative imperative form of "hacerse" (to act or pretend to be), and "el bobo" means "the fool."
2. No te me hagas el bobo: This construction, while not standard in most dialects of Spanish for this particular phrase, introduces an indirect object pronoun "me," which can sometimes indicate the speaker's emotional involvement or perspective. In some contexts, "me" can imply "to me" or "in my view," but with verbs like "hacerse," it might be interpreted differently depending on the region or context.

The phrase "No te me hagas el bobo" could be interpreted in a few ways, depending on the context:



1. It might imply "Don't act like a fool on me" or "Don't play dumb with me," suggesting that the speaker feels personally affected or involved in the situation.
2. The addition of "me" could also be seen in some contexts as an attempt to convey a more personal or affectionate tone, similar to how "me" is used in some expressions to soften the tone or make it more familiar.

However, "No te me hagas el bobo" is not typically used in standard Spanish and might sound unusual or regional. The standard and most widely understood way to convey the message would be "No te hagas el bobo." If you're looking to add emphasis or a personal touch, you might use phrases like "No te hagas el bobo conmigo" (Don't play dumb with me), which is more common and clear in its meaning.

Answer 2

No te hagas el bobo

and

No te me hagas el bobo

have the difference of that "me" after "te"

I like to associate it with "on me".

For example when you talk about a car. (se descompuso el carro == the car went out) and (se me descompuso el carro == my car went out on me)

Another (sad) example would be se murió (she died) vs se me murió. The latter is more personal and is more like "died on me"