B1 · Pronouns
El se impersonal y pasivo
Spanish avoids the passive far more than English does. Where English writes the house was sold, Spanish puts se in front of the verb and leaves the agent out entirely. It is the standard voice of signs, recipes, instructions and rules, and once you notice it you will see it on every shop door in the language.
Two shapes
| Type | Pattern | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Impersonal | se + verb in singular | Se vive bien aquí |
| Passive with se | se + verb agreeing with the thing | Se venden casas |
In the wild
- Se habla español.Spanish spoken here.
- Se venden casas.Houses for sale. · plural thing, plural verb
- ¿Cómo se dice esto?How do you say this?
- Primero se calienta el aceite.First the oil is heated.
Why not the passive
Ser + participle exists but sounds formal and journalistic. In speech, se does the job.
- La casa fue vendida.The house was sold. · formal, written
- Se vendió la casa.The house was sold. · what people say
Three ways to avoid naming who
| Structure | Feel | Example |
|---|---|---|
| se + verb | neutral, standard | Se come bien aquí |
| third person plural | someone did it, unspecified | Me dijeron que sí |
| tú, generic | conversational, includes the listener | Si estudias, apruebas |
The plural without a subject
Spanish uses a bare third person plural where English uses the passive or they. Nobody is named and nobody is implied.
- Me robaron el celular.My phone was stolen.
- Dicen que va a llover.They say it is going to rain.
When people are involved
With a personal object the verb stays singular and takes a: se despidió a tres empleados. This avoids reading it as the employees dismissing themselves.
- Se busca cocinero.Cook wanted.
- Se ayudó a los vecinos.The neighbours were helped.
Mistakes to avoid
Se vende casas.
Se venden casas.
The verb agrees with casas.
Se despidieron a tres empleados.
Se despidió a tres empleados.
With a personal object introduced by a, the verb stays singular.
¿Cómo dices esto en español?
¿Cómo se dice esto en español?
The impersonal is the natural way to ask.
Try it
___ español en veinte países.
Se ___ casas en esta calle.
¿Cómo ___ dice esto?
En Perú ___ mucho arroz.
___ que va a llover.