B1 Spanish GrammarAdvanced Reflexive Constructions
Master advanced Spanish reflexive constructions: impersonal se, passive se, accidental se, and verbs that change meaning with se. Understand the multiple functions of the reflexive pronoun.
1Impersonal Se
Impersonal se (se + third person singular) expresses general statements about 'people', 'one', or 'they' (unspecified subject). The verb is always singular. Common in signs, instructions, and general truths.
Impersonal Se Structure
| Spanish | English | Context |
|---|---|---|
| Se habla espa帽ol | Spanish is spoken | sign/general |
| Se dice que... | They say that... | rumor |
| Se puede entrar | One can enter | permission |
| Se trabaja mucho aqu铆 | People work hard here | general truth |
Examples
Aqu铆 se come muy bien.
You eat very well here. / The food here is great.
general statement
Se necesita experiencia.
Experience required.
job ad style
驴C贸mo se dice 'hello' en espa帽ol?
How do you say 'hello' in Spanish?
impersonal question
Se vive bien en esta ciudad.
People live well in this city.
general observation
2Passive Se
Passive se (se + verb) creates passive constructions without mentioning the agent. The verb agrees with the subject (thing being acted upon). More common than ser + participle in everyday Spanish.
Passive Se Structure
| Singular Subject | Plural Subject |
|---|---|
| Se vende casa | Se venden casas |
| Se alquila piso | Se alquilan pisos |
| Se abre la puerta | Se abren las puertas |
| Se habla ingl茅s | Se hablan idiomas |
Examples
Se venden coches usados.
Used cars are sold. / Used cars for sale.
plural verb agrees with coches
Aqu铆 se hacen reparaciones.
Repairs are done here.
plural verb
Se construy贸 el puente en 1990.
The bridge was built in 1990.
past tense passive
Se aceptan tarjetas de cr茅dito.
Credit cards are accepted.
common sign
3Accidental Se
Accidental se (se + indirect object + verb) emphasizes that something happened accidentally or unintentionally. It removes blame from the person. The verb agrees with the thing, not the person.
Accidental Se Structure
| Structure | Example | English |
|---|---|---|
| se + me + verb | Se me olvid贸 | I forgot (accidentally) |
| se + te + verb | Se te cay贸 | You dropped (it fell) |
| se + le + verb | Se le rompi贸 | It broke on him/her |
| se + nos + verb | Se nos acab贸 | We ran out (it ended on us) |
Examples
Se me olvidaron las llaves.
I forgot the keys. (They slipped my mind.)
plural verb - llaves
Se le cay贸 el vaso.
He dropped the glass. (It fell on him.)
removes blame
Se nos acab贸 el dinero.
We ran out of money.
accidental/unavoidable
Se me rompi贸 el tel茅fono.
My phone broke. (It broke on me.)
not intentional
4Verbs with Changed Meaning
Some verbs change meaning completely when used reflexively. The reflexive version often has an emotional or physical transformation sense. Memorize these pairs as separate vocabulary items.
Meaning Changes with Se
| Non-reflexive | Reflexive |
|---|---|
| ir (to go) | irse (to leave) |
| dormir (to sleep) | dormirse (to fall asleep) |
| parecer (to seem) | parecerse (to resemble) |
| llamar (to call) | llamarse (to be called) |
| poner (to put) | ponerse (to put on, become) |
| volver (to return) | volverse (to become) |
Examples
Ya me voy. / Voy al cine.
I'm leaving now. / I'm going to the cinema.
irse vs ir
Se durmi贸 en el sof谩.
He fell asleep on the sofa.
dormirse = fall asleep
Se puso triste cuando lo supo.
She became sad when she found out.
ponerse + emotion
Se volvi贸 loco con el ruido.
He went crazy with the noise.
volverse = become (permanent)