- The verb always goes in the third person singular.
- Use the se impersonal with estar or verbs without a direct object.
- With transitive verbs use "a" + person.
| Explicación (Explanation) | Ejemplo |
|---|---|
| No hay sujeto, verbo intransitivo (There is no subject, intransitive verb) | Se duerme mal en verano |
| Con estar, sin sujeto (With estar, without subject) | Se está mejor en la montaña |
| Verbo intransitivo sin sujeto (Intransitive verb without subject) | Se dice que lloverá |
| Verbo transitivo + persona (Transitive verb + person) | Se entrevistó a un granjero |
| Plural pero verbo sigue en singular (Plural but verb remains singular) | Se entrevistó a los trabajadores |
| Persona/animal con a (Person/animal with a) | Se alimenta al caballo |
| Verbo transitivo + animales (Transitive verb + animals) | Se cría a las ovejas |
Exceptions!
- Impersonal sentences, as they have no subject, do not allow the verb to change from singular to plural.
Exercise 1: El "se" impersonal
Instruction: Fill in the correct word.
Se entrevistó, se ve, se duerme, se dice, Se está, Se alimenta
1.
Decir: En el campo ... que las vacas dan mejor leche.
(They say: In the countryside, they say that cows give better milk.)
2.
Decir: En el campo ... que las vacas dan mejor leche.
(They say: In the countryside, they say that cows give better milk.)
3.
Dormir: En verano ... con la ventana abierta.
(In summer, you sleep with the window open.)
4.
Estar: ... muy tranquilo en esta granja.
(It's very calm on this farm.)
5.
Alimentar: ... al caballo cada mañana.
(Feed: The horse is fed every morning.)
6.
Ver: En la montaña ... una vaca
(On the mountain, one can see a cow)
7.
Entrevistar: ... a los niños para un reportaje escolar.
(The children were interviewed for a school report.)
8.
Alimentar: ... al cerdo por la tarde.
(Feed: The pig is fed in the afternoon.)
Exercise 2: Translate and use in a sentence
Instruction: Pick a word, translated and use the word in a sentence or dialogue.
1
Se entrevistó
They interviewed
2
se duerme
one sleeps
3
se ve
one can see
4
Se alimenta
It is fed