Download THE “IMPERSONAL SE” Pattern: The word se can be used to

THE “IMPERSONAL SE”
Pattern: The word se can be used to express an impersonal, non-specific instance of a verb.
Basics of the “impersonal se”
The common phrase se habla español does NOT mean “Spanish speaks itself.” It looks like a
reflexive verb phrase, but in cases like this, se expresses a different feeling. Its meaning in the sentence
above is more like “Spanish (is) spoken (here).” In English, this is usually translated to “We speak
Spanish.”
It's not personal!
The subject of a sentence is often unknown or unimportant. Take for example this useful phrase:
¿Cómo se dice...?
This common phrase is often translated into English as “How do you say...?” A more accurate
translation might be “How does one say...? or How is ... said?” This is an important difference, since
the question is not designed to ask how any particular person would say something, but rather how
something is commonly said in general. Since nobody is personally implied, we call this an impersonal
expression.
It is important to note that while the verbs are not reflexive, the subject of these sentences will
still determine the conjugation of the verb. For example:
Se prohibe fumar
No smoking / Smoking (is) prohibited (here)
In this case the concept of smoking (fumar) is a singular subject, so the verb prohibir is conjugated as
prohibe.
Se venden bebidas
We sell drinks / Drinks (are) sold (here)
The verb in this case (vender) is conjugated as venden because bebidas is plural. This is not to say that
the drinks are selling themselves. However, they are the subject of the sentence and the conjugation of
the verb must reflect that.