Log inSign up

Saco la percha y se la doy ahora mismo.

Saco la percha y se la doy ahora mismo.
I take out the hanger and give it to him right now.
From Lesson 251:Emphasizing pronouns and adverbs (mismo)·Spanish (Latin America)

Questions & Answers about Saco la percha y se la doy ahora mismo.

How does mismo change the meaning of ahora in this sentence?
By itself, ahora just means "now." Adding mismo right after a time adverb adds strong emphasis to the exact moment. Together, ahora mismo means "right now" or "this very minute."
Why do we use se in se la doy instead of le?
The phrase means "I give it to him." Normally, "to him" is le and "it" (the hanger) is la. However, Spanish grammar rules prevent putting le and la together because it sounds awkward. Whenever le or les comes right before lo, la, los, or las, it changes to se. So, le la doy becomes se la doy.
How do we know la means "it" and not "her"?
Direct object pronouns like la replace the thing being handed over, matching its gender and number. Here, la replaces la percha (the hanger), which is a feminine noun. The person receiving the hanger is covered by the indirect object pronoun se.
Why use the present tense verbs saco and doy for something that translates well as "I'll take out" or "I'll give"?
In Spanish, the simple present tense is very commonly used for actions you are doing in the immediate future or have just committed to doing. Saying se la doy ahora mismo is the most natural way to express "I will give it to him right now."

Learn Saco la percha y se la doy ahora mismo and more in Spanish

All course content and exercises are completely free — no paywalls, no trial periods, no signup needed.

  • ✓ Practice with interactive exercises
  • ✓ Track your progress with spaced repetition
  • ✓Learn at your own pace — completely free
Start learning Spanish →