Breakdown of El niño se para de la silla.
de
from / of
el niño
the boy
la silla
the chair
pararse
to stand up (LatAm)
Questions & Answers about El niño se para de la silla.
Why is there a se before para?
I thought the verb parar meant "to stop". Why does it translate to "stands up" here?
You are right that the regular, non-reflexive verb parar usually means "to stop." But when you make it reflexive (pararse), it means "to stand up" in Latin American Spanish. You will hear it used very often for physical routines, similar to levantarse (to get up).
Can I attach the se to the end of the verb, like parase?
Not in this sentence. When a reflexive verb is conjugated to match the subject in the present tense (like para for "he stands"), the pronoun must go right before the verb. You only attach pronouns to the end of the verb if it is in its original, unconjugated dictionary form (like pararse).
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