Phrase · 🧲 Persuasion and rhetoric
¿A quién se le ocurre salir sin paraguas en pleno invierno?
Who in their right mind goes out without an umbrella in the middle of winter?
C2rhetorical reproachinformalAudio · coming soon
Why every word is where it is
¿A2prepositiontoquién2pronounwhomse1pronoun(itself)3rdle1object pronoun(to them)él · 3rd sing. · indirect objectocurre1verboccursocurrir · present · 3rd sing.salirverbto go outinfinitivesinprepositionwithoutparaguasnounumbrellamasc. · sing.en3prepositioninpleno3adjectivethe middle of (lit. full)masc. · sing.invierno3nounwintermasc. · sing.?
- se → ocurre: ocurrírsele: se + dative
- A → le: a quién, doubled by le
- salir → ocurre: salir: subject of ocurre
- en → invierno: en pleno invierno
Word for word: “To whom does it occur to go out without an umbrella in full winter?”
Why it's built this way
The notes match the numbers above.
- 1¿A quién se le ocurre…? = who would ever think of…?: a rhetorical question that criticises. The idea (salir) is the subject. Accidental se and the middle voice →
- 2ocurrírsele algo a alguien: se + dative (le), and the person also appears as a quién. Indirect object pronouns and doubling →
- 3en pleno invierno = in the depths of winter; pleno agrees with the noun (en plena calle).
Variations
- ¿Cómo se te ocurre salir sin paraguas en pleno invierno?
- ¿A quién se le ocurre salir sin abrigo con este frío?
- ¿Pero a quién se le ocurre salir sin paraguas en invierno?