Satisfacerlo

Satisfacerlo is the infinitive form of the Spanish verb satisfacer with the direct object pronoun lo attached. It translates roughly as “to satisfy it” or “to satisfy him,” depending on the referent of lo. The construction is common in sentences where the speaker wishes to specify what is being satisfied.

Etymology and lexical family: The verb satisfacer comes from Latin satis facere, meaning “to do enough” or “to satisfy.” It belongs to the -er verbs in Spanish and forms a systematic paradigm with other tenses and moods, including the present tense, past tenses, and the subjunctive.

Usage and examples: In Spanish, a pronoun can attach to an infinitive, producing a single word such as satisfacerlo. This is often used with periphrastic structures like ir a, querer, or necesitar: voy a satisfac erlo, quiero satisfac erlo, necesitamos satisfac erlo. The lo pronoun refers to a masculine singular object previously mentioned in the discourse and can be interpreted as “it” or, depending on context, “him.” Note that when there are multiple pronouns, or when reflexive or indirect pronouns are involved, the form can become more complex (for example, satisfacérselo in contexts with se/les).

Grammatical notes: Satisfacer is an irregular verb in several tenses. Its present indicative forms include satisfago, satisfaces, satisface, satisfacemos, satisfacéis, satisfacen. The verb also forms various compound tenses with haber, and its noun form is satisfacción, while related adjectives include satisfactorio and insatisfactorio.

See also: satisfacer as a base verb, satisfacción, insatisfactorio, and common constructions with object pronouns attached to infinitives.