Spanish grammar: expresiones impersonales

What this grammar point covers

Impersonal expressions in Spanish are phrases that do not refer to a specific person. They are used to make general statements, opinions, or talk about facts in a neutral way.

When to use it

Use impersonal expressions in Spanish to give opinions, make recommendations, express necessity, or talk about general truths without mentioning who does the action.

Key forms

• "Es + adjetivo + que + subjuntivo" (e.g. Es importante que estudies)
• "Es + sustantivo + que + subjuntivo" (e.g. Es una lástima que no vengas)
• "Se + verbo" (e.g. Se dice que...)

Examples

Tips

• After many impersonal expressions with 'que', use the subjunctive mood.
• Impersonal expressions with 'se' are always in the third person.
• Do not use a specific subject (yo, tú, él, etc.) with impersonal expressions.

Exceptions and edge cases

• Some expressions like 'es verdad que' or 'es obvio que' use the indicative mood, not the subjunctive.