acompañarse

Acompañarse is a Spanish pronominal verb derived from acompañar. It conveys the idea of keeping company or being accompanied, either by another person, an animal, or by a non-personal means such as music or ideas. The reflexive form emphasizes the subject’s act of obtaining or providing companionship in a given situation, or of sharing a moment with someone or something.

Uses and nuances:

Acompañarse can be used to indicate that someone is accompanied by another person or animal, as in se acompaña de su perro, or by a source of support or mood, as in se acompaña de música. It can also express that someone keeps themselves company in solitude, for example in contexts like study or travel. The reflexive form is common in informal speech, but the non-reflexive acompañar or the passive estar acompañado are often more typical when talking about third-party accompaniment.

Grammatical notes:

Acompañarse accepts prepositional complements such as de and con to specify the type of accompaniment. It is conjugated as a regular pronominal verb: me acompaño, te acompañas, se acompaña, nos acompañamos, os acompañáis, se acompañan. Although widely understood, some speakers prefer the non-reflexive counterparts (acompañar, estar acompañado) in formal or neutral contexts.

Examples:

- Se acompaña de su perro durante las caminatas.

- Me acompaño de música clásica para concentrarme.

- Acompáñate de un amigo si te sientes solo.

Etymology and related terms:

Acompañarse comes from acompañar, with the reflexive marker added to express the act of obtaining or providing companionship. Related terms include compañía (company), acompañar (to accompany). See also: acompañar, compañía.