Breakdown of Para sugestionar al sujeto, el ilusionista lo hace olvidar todo.
hacer
to do / to make
para
for
lo
it / him (direct object)
todo
all / everything
olvidar
to forget
al
personal 'a' + the (marks a human direct object)
el ilusionista
the illusionist
sugestionar
to influence
el sujeto
the subject
Questions & Answers about Para sugestionar al sujeto, el ilusionista lo hace olvidar todo.
Why is lo used before hace olvidar instead of le?
In causative structures (making someone do something), the person being forced to act is represented by an object pronoun. Strict standard grammar rules say to use the indirect object le if the second verb has its own direct object (like todo). However, in everyday Latin American Spanish, it is very common to use the direct object pronoun lo instead, especially when the person is viewed as the direct target of the physical or mental influence, or when the second object is a general word like todo.
Can I attach the pronoun to the end of the infinitive and say hace olvidarlo todo?
No, that would change the meaning completely! In causative structures with hacer and dejar, the pronoun representing the person being forced to act must go before the conjugated verb (lo hace olvidar). If you attached it to the end (hace olvidarlo), lo would become the thing being forgotten, meaning the illusionist makes someone else forget him or forget it.
Is sugestionar the same as 'to suggest'?
No, this is a false friend. Sugestionar means to mentally influence, brainwash, or plant an idea in someone's mind (often used in psychology or hypnosis). If you want to simply 'suggest' an idea or recommend a restaurant, you should use the verb sugerir.
Why is there an al before sujeto?
This is the personal a combined with the masculine article el (a + el = al). Even though sujeto (subject) can refer to a non-living grammar concept or a topic, here it refers to a specific living person participating in the illusion. Since this person is the direct object of the verb sugestionar, the personal a is required.
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