The 4 Must-Know Uses of "Se" in Spanish
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 22 เม.ย. 2024
- 4 Ways to Use “Se” to Express Yourself More Broadly:
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Do you have any feedback or questions about the pronoun "se"? Please share them below.
What about the "accidental se"?
No "de" is the hardest for me because "from , about" but it has other ways that make no sense.
@@incognito96 hello “ de “is a preposition and the meaning is belong to. The confusion is this: in English you say This is joseph’s car. In spanish is . Este es el carro de Joseph. Your confusion is the position of the words. Y have this problem in English. If
You need more help let
Me know because i need help in English a lot please😢
@@carmenvelez5327 if you need help, I will gladly help. Thankyou for explaining "de"
Yo Dawg, it's a crying shame that I can only give you one like/ thumbs up for this video. Well done my man.
Thanks for the kind words and support! I appreciate it! 🙏
Why call him a dog ??
@@The_Rizz_Lord_please shutup.
The only thing I regret is not finding your channel sooner! I’ve been learning Spanish 5 years and in 1 video you’ve taught me a subject I’ve struggled with the entire time!
Hands down the best explanation of the passive voice in both English and Spanish that I've ever heard. And I've been struggling with it a lot.
Thank you, I'm glad it helped! 😊
Spanish teacher here. Amazing explanation - using this in class ❤. Thanks
Thanks for the feedback! I hope this helps your students!! 😊
One of the best spanish teachers ❤
Wow! You just took on one of the hardest particles to explain in Spanish because SE has many uses! Love your simple examples when SE acts as a passive pronoun! Glad you emphasize that using the English passive sounds awkward to native Spanish speakers and should definitely be avoided! Keep up the good work! 🤓
Thanks for the kind words!! 😊
I’ve been slacking….hard….on my studies; and, the TH-cam algorithm gifts me this gem.
Thank you, profesor
Nice, I'm glad this video helped you get back on track with your studies! 😊
This is the only video that was actually able to explain this! Thank you!
Thanks for the feedback, I'm glad it helped! 😊
OMG I FINALLY GET IT! THANK YOU!!!!!
Great video-thanks! My Spanish teacher explained the "combined objects" se using Eric Clapton's song Lela-good song, bad grammer, so change it to se. Made it easy to remember!
The best "se" class!!
That explanation at the end was very interesting. Thanks.
THANK YOU SO MUCH. Aunque no entiendo el uso de “se” totalmente. Tengo un mejor idea del tema. Muchas gracias 😭🙏
Excellent!. I'll keep reviewing this video 'till it sinks in. Thanks.
Tú eres excelente! Muchas gracias!
excellent explanation.. thank you for posting videos like this
This, especially the passive voice part, was terrific. It's so good when a video just makes a certain thing 'click' for you. Thanks Andrew!
Thanks for the feedback! I'm so pleased to hear that this video helped something click for you! 😊
This is an important feature of Spanish that often gets overlooked ir ignored: the ‘passive se.’ Norwegian has a similar set-up, which I believe is or was once called the ‘mediopassive.’ ‘I write’ = ‘Jeg skriver/‘It is written’= Det skrives. The beauty of it to me is that the tense is carried in the verb. ‘It was written’ becomes ‘Det skrivast.’ Se escribe vs Se escrito. I’d never thought about this until I watched video. Thanks for the presentation.
I have been studying Spanish for a few years and all the uses of “se” have been confusing to me. Thanks for clarification. I subscribed to your channel.
Both of you are right; the evolution from pronoun ge to se is because Spanish language avoids cacophony, harsh pronunciation of similar sounds; lelo meant to pronounce two ls following each other, which ended up changing the first l to s to facilitate faster talking. It happened in another words like cosecha, harvest, which comes from cogecha (cf. Verb coger).
Amen. You are doing God's work, my friend.
Thank you! 🙏
Dude. EXCELLENT lesson! Can't wait for more!
Thanks!! 🙏
Great video. For a second, I was confused by the title. Although I know that "I know" in Spanish has an accent mark, I was trying to determine how there could be so many different uses of it!😆
It is a very easy and fast way to teach this. In fact, I don't even to think about this matters, because I'm a native Spanish speaker, but I think your explanation is comprehensible even for me. Congratulations.
Thank you for the kind words! 🙏
This was a wonderful revision of se !
Thanks for the comment! 🙏
Muy informativo y muy útil. Buen trabajo.
¡Muchas gracias! 🙏
Yet another brilliant video, explained with both patience and logic… thank you.
Terrific video help !
Yeah, you are a saint for this, best examples of what might be the more challenging part of Spanish. Making it very easy . Thank you
I appreciate your videos so much. Thank you!
I'm glad you like them! 😊
I would just add that within the reflexive tense, "se" is used not just to talk about the same person doing the action also being the one receiving the action, but also just to spice up the language a little bit. I compare it in English to how we add words like "up, off, down" to verbs to spice them up. Instead of just, "He ran", we can say, "He ran off", or "he darted off". Instead of just "She ate the peas" we could say "She ate up the peas." Etc. Instead of just "he cleaned his spot", we might say "He cleaned off his spot."
Hola Glenn, yes, you're right! 👍 The reflexive "se" can have these subtle shifts in meaning or spice in the language as you have described it.
Thank you!
Thanks for your support! 😊
Excellent explanations. Thank You
I'm glad you liked the video! 😊
This video and the article in the blog were extremely helpful! At my more advanced level in Spanish, the indirect object pronoun STILL often trips me up. I sometimes forget the reflexive "se", as well. If I can master these, I believe I can finally reach another level of speaking and comprehension.
Thanks Gina, I'm glad it was helpful!! 😊
Thanks!
Thank you so much for the support Mary! 🙏
Puede hacer un video que tiene que ver con la frase ?
Muy bien!aprendi Algonquin hoy!
Awesome video 👍🏽👍🏽👍🏽
Thank you 👍
I think the first part helped me. The further I went through, the more lost I became. Perhaps because I knew all of the other nouns and verbs in the first part. I might need to come back to the last sections when I know more words.
Thanks for the feedback Tim! I didn't mean to use more complex vocabulary as the video went on but it may have happened by accident. I hope you are able to understand more of the video when you view it after learning some more words.
Genial! Keep uploading!
¡Gracias! 🙏
thanks for that, but i'll need to watch it again without distractions, maybe again and again and again lol
Hi, Great video and at last I'm sort of starting to get it...why does Spanish need to be oh so complicated for us learners?
Very helpful video. I am curious though, what was the name of that book your former student referenced about the history of Spanish?
Always like your videos. Glad they're popping up.
Not sure but it seems to me that when you speak Spanish, you have a nasal sound but not in your English. I've noticed this about other foreigners speaking good Spanish. Any reason?
I'm not sure, it's not something I think about. The letters "n", "m" and "ñ" will require nasal articulation naturally. But, I recommend all students focus on getting their Spanish vowels as accurate as possible. This is what I think about when I'm speaking Spanish. So, if your vowels are accurate, your Spanish will sound great!
Thank you for great content as usual!
I have read lots of learners´s comments over the years that say that nearly every reference on the internet teaching Impersonal SE says that it can only be in the singular, while Passive SE constructions can use both singular and plural. For example: From one site it says, ´Impersonal se constructions are always formed with se + a third person singular verb.´ and from the same page, ´Passive se constructions can be formed with se + a third person singular verb or a third person plural verb, depending on what is being discussed.´
Many learners are told this or see this written and it confuses the hell out of us. Can you break it down once and for all and confirm or correct the above? Thank you. :)
Thanks for the question Max! Firstly, this is a confusing topic that natives debate and don't always agree on. We can also find regional variations here. So, I'm not going to solve this "once and for all". But, I would say this is a question that largely doesn't matter. As I mentioned in the video at the end of the passive section, "how do I know if something is passive or impersonal?", it doesn't matter, it's simply a question of definition which linguists can debate but as Spanish students, we just need to say the sentences without thinking about them too much.
I have a book on my bookshelf called "las 500 dudas más frecuentes del español" and it covers questions like this. I wouldn't recommend this book to students because 80% of the book is getting into the weeds and I think this question is getting close to this. An example from the book, the question is "¿Se alquila habitaciones o Se alquilan habitaciones?" which is correct? And the answer is the second is more common but both are allowed. It then goes on to discuss your point that impersonal is formed with a singular verb construction therefore the first is "impersonal" and the second is "passive". For me, as a Spanish teacher, the most important information here is that both are possible and the second is more common.
Last point, in the video, I use my own definitions of "passive" and "impersonal" to get around this problem. If we compare these sentences "Aquí se habla español y francés" vs "Aquí se hablan español y francés", some would define the first as "impersonal" and the second as "pasiva refleja" and others would define them both as "pasiva refleja". Personally, I would rather define them both as impersonal since they are talking about an action in a general way. Then, in comparison "Se habló español en la reunión" (Spanish was spoken in the meeting), I would prefer to define this as passive because it was done by a specific group of people.
That said, all of the examples I have provided above are acceptable sentences in Spanish. It is simply a question of how we define them, which again, I think for the most part doesn't matter because they are all grammatically correct.
@@realfastspanish Thank you so much for taking the time to write such a comprehensive response. I understand where you're coming from and I think I need to let go of needing to know how to define everything gramatically and focus more on correct usage and understanding. Thank you!
I've been hearing ''accidental se'' and thought it was se said on accident. But, apparently not. I was hoping you would clarify that here for me. Maybe your next Se video? More please =-)
Thanks for the question Chad! I just said this to another comment and I'll repeat it here for your reference:
"I consider the "accidental se" as the 3rd category, the reflexive se, because it is always referring to the object or thing that the verb is modifying. I've seen other people say there are 5 categories or even 6, and as I mentioned at the end we could break out 3rd category into reflexive and reciprocal. But, for me, there are 4 basic sentences structures that "se" will appear in, and we can consider the "accidental" or "reciprocal" as subcategories of reflexive."
Gret stuff
Heya! I'm gonna go read the article after I comment this so maybe it will be revealed to me there, but my one question:
Is there a stark difference between saying "Se me olvidó" and "Me olvidó"? There are other verbs often used in this way, but this is just one I find myself using often.
After watching this video I feel like "Se me olvidó" translates to something like "It is forgotten to me", but is using this form of the verb too formal/ uncommon?
Thanks!
Just read the article - the passive "se" is used to convey forgetting on accident! Thanks so much for your great teaching!
Thanks for the feedback, I'm glad the article answered your question!
Hey there. Great video and thank you for explaining this. I have a question though.
Sometimes when I read information on the internet or books etc sometimes i see the "se" being used but don't understand why. So for example "Los manzanos se cultivan en todo el mundo."
Apples are cultivated and you're not saying who so impersonal Se.
But on the same hand why include the se? if you said "los manzanos cultivan..." I would read it the same!
Thank you
The sentence is an example pf the passive se. Here is another example: "Los tacos se venden aqui= tacos are sold here
¡Hola Kalza! You're example is like what I spoke about in terms of passive vs impersonal, it could be either depending on the context. But if we remove the "se", "Los manzanos cultivan...", then this would read as "Apple trees cultivate...", it would imply that the apple trees are cultivating something else, maybe a busy insect population such as bees". E.g. "Apple trees cultivate a big bee population" -> "Los manzanos cultivan una gran población de abejas". Whereas if we just want to say that "Apple trees are cultivated", then we need the "se". I hope that helps!!
is the se in llamarse also a bit like the category 3 reflexive se ?
Yes, absolutely! It can be both! It depends on the sentence. In the example "¿Cómo se llama esto?" (What is this called?), this is impersonal #1, but in the example ¿Cómo se llama? (what is his name?), it is reflexive #3. As I mentioned in the video, the label of #1 and #3 doesn't matter too much, it's more important to get used to the patterns.
@@realfastspanish oh i see, thank you so much ! : )
Could you also you "I" in the first example. por ejemplo "Donde se puedo pagar?"
¿Dónde se puede pagar? "Puede" is the right verb.
Yes, absolutely, if you want to say "Where can I pay?", you can translate literally "¿Dónde puedo pagar?". This is a normal sentence in Spanish. You just need to remember to drop the "se" if you are going to say "I". But, it's also important to practice using the impersonal se as well so you can get used to it.
@@realfastspanish puede in ''se puede'' is the 3rd person singular conjugation of poder, right?
@@mausilili1371yes that’s correct
Where (In Spain) is the closest to Mexican Spanish. I know there are different languages all over Spain. I'm looking for an area that speaks closest to Mexican Spanish
I always thought "se" as oneself yourself themselves, itself himself herself
You can think of it that way if it helps you produce these sentences accurately! 👍
This video was 99% perfect. He forgot the "accidental se". 😢 Should've been 5 uses
Thanks for the feedback! I consider the "accidental se" as the 3rd category, the reflexive se, because it is always referring to the object or thing that the verb is modifying. I've seen other people say there are 5 categories or even 6, and as I mentioned at the end we could break out 3rd category into reflexive and reciprocal. But, for me, there are 4 basic sentences structures that "se" will appear in, and we can consider the "accidental" or "reciprocal" as subcategories of reflexive.
it reflects the english impersonal one. where does one pay?
I imagine that part of the reason “se lo” stuck around in the language was because it was easier to say
I love that!!! 😍
I was told that "cómo se llama" is not correct except for people and pets. I was told you should always use "cómo se dice" for objects.
You're right! I'm a native Spanish speaker and I'd never say "Cómo se dice?" referring to people! 😅 However, the teacher hasn't said anything about using that expression with people!
@@onlyoneamong300 But, what about using "Como se llama" with objects?
No nadamás para personas o animales se usa "Cómo se llama?
También para canciones, calles, países y varios más Ejemplo;
Cómo se llama la canción que estás cantando?
Cómo se llama la calle principal de Las Vegas?
Cómo se llama el país donde nació Jesús?
Cómo se llama el libro que estabas leyendo?
Espero haber sido de ayuda.
Mmmm no, I don't think so. "Como se dice" has a different meaning than "como se llama". "Como se dice" implies the use of a different language: you speak English and I speak Spanish so I ask you "como se dice esto (en inglés)? But cómo se llama? implies we both speak the same language but I don't know the term to name the object.
@@ChadAgainIt's fine!
Main brain hurts ! 🤔😅
Yes, there is not doubt that this is a tricky topic and it can take a while to get used to these patterns. Revisit the video and keep practicing the patterns. It will come with time!
despertarse is not really a reflexive verb, despertarse is a pronominal verb, meaning SE is part of the verb. SE in "reflexive verbs" is not part of the verb.
I'm not sure the Real Academia Española (RAE) agrees with this. If we look up the definition of "verbo reflexivo", it says "verbo pronominal". And if we look up the definition of "verbo pronominal" it says "a verb that is constructed in all its forms with reflexive pronouns". For me, a pronominal verb is referring to either a reflexive or reciprocal sentence construction.
is a long subject. it is neither reflexive nor reciprocal. there are many types of se.
you don't need to know this to learn spanish.
I was just looking for a better explanation of " Yo no se". I still don't.
In the sentence "Yo no sé", the word "sé" is the first person conjugation of "saber" (to know). It is different to the reflexive pronoun "se" (without an accent) which is the focus of this video. So "se" and "sé" are different words. I hope that helps!!
@@realfastspanish Yes. That does help. Thankyou.
@@realfastspanish I will watch this several more times -- in the hope that it sinks in, Thank you.
Se (the pronoun) and sé (meaning I know) are homophones -words that sound alike but have different spellings and meanings. Si (if) and sí (yes) are also Spanish homophones. A few Spanish words starting with “s” have homophones that start with soft “c”. And there are a few Spanish words that start with silent “h” that have homophones. However due to the generally uniform phonetic spelling of Spanish words, there are far fewer homophones than in English: to, two, too four, fore, for, there, their, they’re, ….
Forgot to give you an A in my last comment
Thanks for the A!! 😊
Am first
Boligrafo??? I've always said pluma.
Both words can mean "pen" but this can vary from country to country. And, they can also represent different types of pens (e.g. ball point vs fountain). I recommend doing a Google image search on both words to see what comes up. It can help to see the differences visually.