Spanish language Q&A Forum

I think that the concept of "verbs like gustar" might become clearer by seeing a literal translation as well as the English interpretation/translation. 

Is this the correct sentence construction for "verbs like gustar"?

Indirect Object + verb like gustar + subject ?

Le entristece la mala noticia = The bad news saddens her.

Could the literal translation be: For her, the news is saddening OR should it be To her, the news saddens? Neither really make sense in English! “Her, the news saddens = The news saddens her” and makes the verb transitive, no? And “her” becomes the Direct Object “la” instead of the Indirect Object “le”. Can “entristecer” be used as a transitive verb AND as a “verb like gustar”?

But surely the more correct Spanish would be: 

Las malas noticias la entristecen OR la entristecen las malas noticias

Are both forms acceptable?

How then can I reconcile la in that last version with the le in the lesson version? "La" is a Direct Object while "le" is an Indirect Object, no?

So, again, can “entristecer” be both transitive and a “verb like gustar”? OR is either version incorrect?

 Phew! HELP?

__________ mucho esta noche.

I answered: "He bebido"

I answered this because:

"The use of El Pretérito Perfecto in Latin America depends on regional variations but in general we can say it's restricted to actions started in the past that continue in the present or are not finished, or recent past actions the speaker wants to emphasise." 

"I drank a lot tonight" seems like a recent past action...

What am I failing to understand here?

There's also this part:

"However, in general most Latin American Spanish speakers don't really observe this difference between El Pretérito Indefinido and El Pretérito Perfecto. Most of Latin America tends to just use El Pretérito Indefinido, while in the Andean region speakers tend to just use El Pretérito Perfecto."

So... I have two contradictory sets of information given to me... which one do I use?

I think Alfredo got trapped! He only proposed after Susana got pregnant . . .

So, pura vida is used instead of hola or cómo estás? How would one translate pura vida in a casual conversation? As "hello", "how are you" or as "awesome" or something else? 

The phrase: y así devolver a esas personas un poco de su ayuda en el pasado.

I can't figure out from the literal tx whether the "de" should be "por":

y así devolver a esas personas un poco por su ayuda en el pasado.

If the intent is thank the older generation for their past help, surely "por" is more appropriate, no? Or does "de" somehow imply "for"?

What does this expression mean?

A well-written, well-articulated offering but way too much resonance on the microphone creating a "booming" that makes it hard to discern words.

What does that expression mean?

why do you add "me" as in me comería, or me compraría. Just for emphasis? Can one do away with the "me"?

Why can I say un hombre entusiasmado ( gender agrees)  but have to say un hombre entusiasta ( adjective always feminine ) ?

Gracias