Spanish grammar: usos avanzados de se

What this grammar point covers

The advanced uses of 'se' in Spanish refer to different situations where 'se' is used in special ways, beyond just reflexive verbs. It's a small word with many important functions.

When to use it

You use 'se' in Spanish to make sentences more general (impersonal), to talk about actions without saying who does them (passive), to show that something happened by accident, and to talk about actions people do to each other (reciprocal).

Key forms

• 'Se' impersonal: Se + verb (e.g. Se dice)
• 'Se' pasivo: Se + verb (e.g. Se venden casas)
• 'Se' accidental: Se + indirect object + se + verb (e.g. Se me olvidó)
• 'Se' recíproco: Subject plural + se + verb (e.g. Ellos se miran)

Examples

Tips

• Don't confuse 'se' with reflexive verbs only; it has other uses.
• With impersonal and passive 'se', the verb agrees with the object, not the person.
• In accidental 'se', the person is not the subject but the indirect object.

Exceptions and edge cases

• Some verbs cannot be used with impersonal 'se'.
• With reciprocal 'se', you need a plural subject.