2.5: "Se" impersonal y "se" accidental
- Page ID
- 317236
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\(\newcommand{\avec}{\mathbf a}\) \(\newcommand{\bvec}{\mathbf b}\) \(\newcommand{\cvec}{\mathbf c}\) \(\newcommand{\dvec}{\mathbf d}\) \(\newcommand{\dtil}{\widetilde{\mathbf d}}\) \(\newcommand{\evec}{\mathbf e}\) \(\newcommand{\fvec}{\mathbf f}\) \(\newcommand{\nvec}{\mathbf n}\) \(\newcommand{\pvec}{\mathbf p}\) \(\newcommand{\qvec}{\mathbf q}\) \(\newcommand{\svec}{\mathbf s}\) \(\newcommand{\tvec}{\mathbf t}\) \(\newcommand{\uvec}{\mathbf u}\) \(\newcommand{\vvec}{\mathbf v}\) \(\newcommand{\wvec}{\mathbf w}\) \(\newcommand{\xvec}{\mathbf x}\) \(\newcommand{\yvec}{\mathbf y}\) \(\newcommand{\zvec}{\mathbf z}\) \(\newcommand{\rvec}{\mathbf r}\) \(\newcommand{\mvec}{\mathbf m}\) \(\newcommand{\zerovec}{\mathbf 0}\) \(\newcommand{\onevec}{\mathbf 1}\) \(\newcommand{\real}{\mathbb R}\) \(\newcommand{\twovec}[2]{\left[\begin{array}{r}#1 \\ #2 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\ctwovec}[2]{\left[\begin{array}{c}#1 \\ #2 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\threevec}[3]{\left[\begin{array}{r}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\cthreevec}[3]{\left[\begin{array}{c}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\fourvec}[4]{\left[\begin{array}{r}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \\ #4 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\cfourvec}[4]{\left[\begin{array}{c}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \\ #4 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\fivevec}[5]{\left[\begin{array}{r}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \\ #4 \\ #5 \\ \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\cfivevec}[5]{\left[\begin{array}{c}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \\ #4 \\ #5 \\ \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\mattwo}[4]{\left[\begin{array}{rr}#1 \amp #2 \\ #3 \amp #4 \\ \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\laspan}[1]{\text{Span}\{#1\}}\) \(\newcommand{\bcal}{\cal B}\) \(\newcommand{\ccal}{\cal C}\) \(\newcommand{\scal}{\cal S}\) \(\newcommand{\wcal}{\cal W}\) \(\newcommand{\ecal}{\cal E}\) \(\newcommand{\coords}[2]{\left\{#1\right\}_{#2}}\) \(\newcommand{\gray}[1]{\color{gray}{#1}}\) \(\newcommand{\lgray}[1]{\color{lightgray}{#1}}\) \(\newcommand{\rank}{\operatorname{rank}}\) \(\newcommand{\row}{\text{Row}}\) \(\newcommand{\col}{\text{Col}}\) \(\renewcommand{\row}{\text{Row}}\) \(\newcommand{\nul}{\text{Nul}}\) \(\newcommand{\var}{\text{Var}}\) \(\newcommand{\corr}{\text{corr}}\) \(\newcommand{\len}[1]{\left|#1\right|}\) \(\newcommand{\bbar}{\overline{\bvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\bhat}{\widehat{\bvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\bperp}{\bvec^\perp}\) \(\newcommand{\xhat}{\widehat{\xvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\vhat}{\widehat{\vvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\uhat}{\widehat{\uvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\what}{\widehat{\wvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\Sighat}{\widehat{\Sigma}}\) \(\newcommand{\lt}{<}\) \(\newcommand{\gt}{>}\) \(\newcommand{\amp}{&}\) \(\definecolor{fillinmathshade}{gray}{0.9}\)Constructions with "Se": Impersonal "Se" and Accidental "Se"
Impersonal "Se"
"Se" for general and impersonal information is used to express general and impersonal information in which the subject is not given or is unspecified. "Se" impersonal is used for signs and ads. The “se” construction is used as follows:
Singular
Se + verb (present in 3rd person singular) + singular noun
Se habla español. Spanish spoken
Se alquila apartamento. Apartment for rent.
Note that in the examples above the verb in present tense and the singular noun are in bold.
Plural
Se + verb (present in 3rd person plural) + plural noun
Se venden los periódicos aquí. Newspapers for sale here.
Se buscan meseros en este restaurants. Waiters wanted for this restaurant.
Note that in the examples above the verb in present tense and the plural noun are in bold.
Se + verb (present in 3rd person singular) + adverb or preposition
Se ve mejor con estos lentes. One can see better with these glasses.
Se maneja con alegría en este coche. One can drive joyfully in this car.
Note that in the examples above the verb and the adverb or preposition are in bold.
Accidental "Se"
"Se" for accidental or unplanned events: To imply that no one is directly responsible for an accidental or unplanned event, Spanish uses the following “Se" construction:
| Se | IOP | Verb (preterite) | Subject |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Se |
me te le nos os les |
cayó |
el plato. |
In this construction, the indirect object pronoun indicates to whom the accidental or unplanned event affects. What normally is the direct object of the sentence (what is lost, forgotten, and so on,) is now the subject, and the verb is now conjugated to this new subject (normally the 3rd person singular or plural). Because the event has already occurred, the verb tense used is normally the preterite.
| Se | IOP | Verb (preterite) | Subject |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Se |
me te le nos os les |
cayeron descompuso olvidaron perdió quedaron rompió |
los libros. la televisión. las bebidas para la fiesta. el dinero. los boletos en casa. el vaso. |
| Spanish | English | Spanish | English |
|---|---|---|---|
|
caer |
to fall; to drop |
dañar |
to damage; to break down |
|
descomponer |
to break down (appliances, electronic devices & transportation) |
olvidar |
to forget |
|
perder (ie) |
to lose |
quebrar |
to break |
|
quedar |
to be left behind |
romper |
to break |
To clarify or emphasize whom the action happened to (the indirect object pronoun), use "a + [noun]" or "a + [prepositional pronoun]":
- Al conductor se le perdió la llave. (The driver lost his key.)
- A mí se me cayó el pastel. (I dropped the cake.)