Impersonal “Se” in Spanish
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Impersonal se constructions (oraciones impersonales) are used to make general observations about what people do.
Check out these examples of the impersonal se.
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Se debe trabajar mucho para tener éxito.
One should work hard to gain success.
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Se vive muy bien en este pueblo.
You live well in this village./Life is good in this village.
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Se busca a los testigos del crimén.
They’re looking for witnesses to the crime.
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While the above English translations contain one, they, or you, there is no obvious grammatical subject in Spanish. This lack of an obvious subject is a key part of impersonal se constructions; it’s what makes them impersonal!
Impersonal Se Formation
In impersonal se constructions, verbs are always conjugated in the third person singular.
Impersonal Se Formula
se + verb in third person singular
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Se estudia muy bien en ese café.
That coffee shop is great for studying.
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Se trabaja mejor sin distracciones.
It’s better to work without distractions.
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Looking for information on the differences between the impersonal se and the passive se? Check out our article here!
Fuente,
https://www.spanishdict.com/guide/impersonal-se-in-spanish