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raferguson

Jul 26, 2011, 10:58 AM

Post #1 of 6 (5799 views)

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se pusieron nuestros padres - Huh?

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This phrase left me scratching my head, with Poner having so many meanings that I could not figure out what it might mean here. Or perhaps this is an idiomatic expression.

The quote below is from an interview in El Pais with a rock band, talking about their success. The phrase appeared in the headline, so it must be important in some way.

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Nos sentimos orgullosos de haberlo conseguido haciendo las cosas a nuestra manera y sin renunciar a nada. Pero sinceramente, lo mejor de todo es lo contentos que se pusieron nuestros padres. Es un nivel de éxito que pueden comprender y del que pueden estar orgullosos.

Richard

http://www.fergusonsculpture.com

norteño

Jul 26, 2011, 11:57 AM

Post #2 of 6 (5788 views)

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Re: [raferguson] se pusieron nuestros padres - Huh?

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"how happy our parents became", meaning how happy it made them.

raferguson

Jul 26, 2011, 12:12 PM

Post #3 of 6 (5782 views)

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Re: [norteño] se pusieron nuestros padres - Huh?

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That was my original reading, mostly from the context, but the harder I looked at it, the less I could explain the grammar.

Can you explain that translation?

Richard

http://www.fergusonsculpture.com

La Isla

Jul 26, 2011, 12:18 PM

Post #4 of 6 (5781 views)

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Re: [raferguson] se pusieron nuestros padres - Huh?

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Ponerse in this context means become. If you put it in the preterite tense, ié., se pusieron, it means it happened in the past. Nothing very complicated.

Maesonna

Jul 27, 2011, 4:45 PM

Post #5 of 6 (5743 views)

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Re: [raferguson] se pusieron nuestros padres - Huh?

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And to understand the particular wording in your text, the following step-by-step deconstruction might help make it clear:

Nuestros padres se pusieron contentos: Our parents became happy.

…lo contento que se pusieron nuestros padres: …how happy our parents became.

Lo mejor de todo es lo contento que se pusieron nuestros padres: And the best of all was how happy our parents became.

If they’d been speaking English, they might instead have said, “And the best of all was how happy it made our parents.”

(This post was edited by Maesonna on Jul 27, 2011, 5:16 PM)

mazbook1

Jul 28, 2011, 5:33 PM

Post #6 of 6 (5705 views)

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Re: [Maesonna] se pusieron nuestros padres - Huh?

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lordy, lordy, Maesonna! I sure wish I could explain some of the convoluted Spanish dichos - sayings - as well as you do. ¡Bravo!