La cena familiar

La cena familiar

Me invitaron a una cena familiar muy grande en una casa de Puebla. Cuando llegué, varias señoras estaban preparando la comida en la cocina.

• Me invitaron
  me – who it lands on (me)
  invitaron – what the action is and who did it

—¿Les puedo ayudar? —les pregunté.

• Les puedo ayudar
  les – who it lands on (you all; the señoras)
  puedo ayudar – what the action is and who did it (I can help; verb phrase treated as one verb)
  
• les pregunté
  les – who it lands on (them; the señoras)
  pregunté – what the action is and who did it (I asked)

Una de ellas me mostró una olla enorme.

• me mostró
  me – who it lands on (me)
  mostró – what the action is and who did it (she showed)

—Sí, por favor. Lleva este arroz a la mesa.

Intenté levantarla, pero pesaba muchísimo.

• Intenté levantarla
  la – who or what is involved (la olla)
  Intenté levantar – what the action is and who did it (I tried to lift; verb phrase treated as one verb)

—Creo que no puedo llevarla sola. —le dije.

• llevarla
  la – who or what is involved (la olla)
  no puedo llevar – what the action is and who did it (I can’t carry)

Otra señora se rió y vino a ayudarme.

• se rió
  se – who it lands on (the same person doing the action; pronominal)
  rió – what the action is and who did it (she laughed)
  
• vino a ayudarme
  me – who it lands on (me)
  vino a ayudar (verb phrase) – what the action is and who did it (she came to help)

—No te preocupes. Entre las dos, la llevamos.

• No te preocupes
  te – who it lands on (you, the same person doing the action, personal act; from preocuparse; pronominal)
  preocupes – what the action is and who did it (you worry)
  negative tú command
  
• la llevamos
  la – who or what is involved (la olla)
  llevamos – what the action is and who did it (we carry)

Después, una señora me dio una canasta llena de tortillas.

• me dio
  me – who it lands on (me)
  dio – what the action is and who did it (she gave)

—Ponlas junto a los platos, por favor.

• Ponlas
  informal imperative – who it lands on (you, tú))
  las – who or what is involved (las tortillas)
  pon / poner – what the action is and who did it (you put)

Me las llevé a la mesa, pero un niño agarró una antes de que pudiera dejarlas.

• Me las llevé
  me – who it lands on (the person doing the action / personal act; pronominal)
  las – who or what is involved (las tortillas)
  llevé – what the action is and who did it (I carried / took them)
  
• pudiera dejarlas
  las – who or what is involved (las tortillas)
  dejar – what the action is and who did it (to put down; pudiera dejar – I could put down)

—¡Oye! Todavía no —le dijo su abuela, quitándosela.

• quitándosela
  se (le to se) – who it lands on (him, el niño)
  la – who or what is involved (la tortilla)
  quitando (gerund) – what the action is and who did it (la abuela)

El niño la miró con cara triste.

• la miró
  la – who or what is involved (la abuela)
  miró – what the action is and who did it (he looked)

—Bueno, está bien —dijo ella—. Te la puedes comer, pero no agarres otra.

• Te la puedes
  te – who it lands on (the same person doing the action / personal act; pronominal)
  la – who or what is involved (la tortilla)
  puedes comer – what the action is and who did it (you can eat; el niño)

Cuando por fin nos sentamos, alguien me pasó un plato de mole.

• nos sentamos
  nos – who it lands on (the people doing the action / doing it to themselves; reflexive)
  sentamos – what the action is and who did it (we all sat)
  
• me pasó
  me – who it lands on (me)
  pasó – what the action is and who did it (he/she passed)

—Pruébalo —me dijo—. Mi madre lo preparó esta mañana.

• Pruébalo
  informal imperative – who it lands on (you, tú)
  lo – who or what is involved (el mole)
  prueba/probar – what the action is and who did it (you try, informal)
  
• lo preparó
  lo – who or what is involved (el mole)
  preparó – what the action is and who did it (she prepared; mi madre)

Lo probé y estaba delicioso.

• Lo probé
  lo – who or what is involved (el mole)
  probé – what the action is and who did it (I tried)

—¿Te gusta? —me preguntó.

—Sí. ¡Me lo voy a comer todo!

• Me lo voy a comer
  me – who it lands on (me, personal act; pronominal)
  lo – who or what is involved (el mole)
  voy a comer (verb phrase) – what the action is and who did it (I am going to eat)