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Thanks BashfulDwarf for putting this post together. I can learn and retain Spanish vocabulary with ease but have a very difficult time with conjugating the verbs. In high school were were forced to take 4 years of French, which I learned without much difficulty. It seems as you get older, it becomes much more difficult to learn.

After a trip to Latin/South America my Spanish dramatically improves, even after a few days. I think immersion is the only way to go. After awhile you will be conjugating verbs properly and you won't even realize it. I think most of us have memorized phrases that we use but don't really understand the language rules.

"te pago la mitad ahora y el resto cuando terminamos" is a phrase I have used many times, but could never put it together on my own.

Devo

Does me haces falta mean "I need you" and can it also mean "I miss you"?

It can mean both, separately or at the same time. Literally it means "I am lacking/missing you". But, the connotation or sentiment behind it also implies that you need that person. .

But ... "haces" ... this is in the 2nd person 'Tu' form. You are not referring to yourself. You are telling the other person that they are acting upon you (the "me" part). That's what I can't grasp. I would never think of expressing my feelings by speaking in the second person.

"te extraño" ... easy and straight forward. I am missing you. This other phrase has me lost in translation.

If "me haces falta" is a one-off phrase, then I don't care. But if this is an insight into how to communicate in Spanish, then I have to understand how it is used.

Also, contigo is a word, is sintigo a word?

But ... "haces" ... this is in the 2nd person 'Tu' form. You are not referring to yourself. You are telling the other person that they are acting upon you (the "me" part). That's what I can't grasp. I would never think of expressing my feelings by speaking in the second person.

"te extraño" ... easy and straight forward. I am missing you. This other phrase has me lost in translation.

If "me haces falta" is a one-off phrase, then I don't care. But if this is an insight into how to communicate in Spanish, then I have to understand how it is used.

If "me haces falta" is a one-off phrase, then I don't care. But if this is an insight into how to communicate in Spanish, then I have to understand how it is used.

Additionally, 'comer' is not reflexive, but a friend (Puerto Rican) says it becomes so in such:

"él debes comerse sus verduras!".

He was explaining how typically non-reflexive verbs are used to refer full circle to the subject. What have you guys experienced with reflexive verb usage?

Present tense is simple, but I get confused talking in past tense (imperfect vs preterite). And just forget the subjunctive mood. I can't remember the rules and congugate in real time. But I agree that when I am there, I can actually babble coherently after a day or two. I just can't understand what is spoken to me.

If somebody says "él debe comerse sus verduras" (not debes, wrong person), they are saying "he should eat himself" but I have seen that from Ticos and Paisas.

Technically, "He should, himself, eat his vegetables" is proper English, as is "He should eat, himself, his vegetables" and "He should eat his vegetables himself". So Like you, I don't challenge native speakers. I just want to try and prepare my ear for hearing reflexive verb usage.

As for speaking, if you leave out the reflexive pronoun, you'll be understood, if perhaps looked at strangely.

Much thanks for clarification, Orange. What about the reflexive usage when one subject performs on another?

...By definition you can't use a reflexive when one subject performs an action on another...