Decide whether the sentence is correct or incorrect as written
Paco necesita se lavar las manos.
correct
incorrect
The correct answer and explanation is:
The sentence “Paco necesita se lavar las manos.” is incorrect.
The correct form would be “Paco necesita lavarse las manos.”
Here’s why:
In Spanish, reflexive verbs require the use of reflexive pronouns, which match the subject of the sentence. In the sentence “Paco necesita se lavar las manos,” the verb “necesita” is conjugated correctly in the third person singular (because “Paco” is the subject), but the reflexive pronoun “se” is misused here.
The verb “lavar” (to wash) is a transitive verb, but when used reflexively, it becomes “lavarse,” meaning “to wash oneself.” Reflexive pronouns like “me,” “te,” “se,” and “nos” must match the subject of the verb. In this case, since the subject is Paco (third person singular), the correct reflexive pronoun is “se.”
Therefore, the correct structure for this sentence is “Paco necesita lavarse las manos”. The verb “lavarse” is reflexive, and the reflexive pronoun “se” matches Paco (third person singular). The sentence now means “Paco needs to wash his hands.”
In summary, the key error is the incorrect use of “se” instead of the proper reflexive verb form “lavarse.” When using verbs like “lavarse” that are reflexive, always remember to include the reflexive pronoun that matches the subject of the sentence.