"Tratar de" vs. "Tratarse de"
When deciphering an abstract art exhibit, you will need to talk about what you are trying to do, and what the artwork is about. To do this, you will use two closely related but distinct expressions: tratar de and tratarse de.
Tratar de (To try to)
When a specific person is making an attempt to do something, use the personal verb tratar de followed by an infinitive. Since it is a personal verb, you conjugate it to match the subject making the attempt (e.g., yo trato, nosotros tratamos).
| When we visit the gallery, we will try to understand the abstract art. | Cuando visitemos la galería, trataremos de entender el arte abstracto. |
| The spectator tries to decipher the painter's intention. | El espectador trata de descifrar la intención del pintor. |
Tratarse de (To be about)
When you want to express the core theme or subject of something—like what an artwork, movie, or book is about—use tratarse de.
Unlike tratar de, this expression is impersonal. It doesn't describe a person's actions. Instead, it is almost exclusively used in the third-person singular as se trata de (it is about) or in questions as ¿de qué se trata? (what is it about?).
| The viewers do not know what the abstract exhibition is about. | Los espectadores no saben de qué se trata la exposición abstracta. |
| Is it about a geometric planet or a simple figure? | ¿Se trata de un planeta geométrico o de una simple figura? |
Putting It Together
Because their forms are so similar, it is important to pay attention to whether a person is actively trying to do something, or if the sentence is describing the essence of a thing. You will often see both used together when someone attempts to explain a subjective meaning.
| The critic tries to explain what modern art is about. | El crítico trata de explicar de qué se trata el arte moderno. |