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 verb “necesitar” is a verb that expresses necessity, and when combined with another verb in Spanish, the second verb typically appears in its infinitive form. However, there is an issue with the reflexive pronoun “se” in this sentence. The reflexive pronoun is used incorrectly because the verb “lavar” is not being reflexive in this case. Instead, the verb should be in its infinitive form without the reflexive pronoun “se.”
The correct sentence should be:
“Paco necesita lavar las manos.”
This is the correct form because the verb “necesitar” is followed by an infinitive verb, and there is no need to use the reflexive pronoun here. “Lavar las manos” simply means “to wash the hands,” and it is not reflexive in this context since Paco is not washing himself, but rather his hands.
If you wanted to use a reflexive form of the verb, it would change the meaning. For example, “Paco necesita lavarse las manos” means “Paco needs to wash his hands,” where “lavarse” is the reflexive form of “lavar,” implying that Paco is washing himself (in this case, his hands).
In summary, the mistake in the original sentence is the unnecessary reflexive pronoun “se.” The correct version of the sentence without the reflexive pronoun properly conveys the intended meaning.