se
/seh/
Here, 'se' shows the person is doing the action to themself, like looking in a mirror.
se (Pronoun)
📝 In Action
Ella se levanta temprano.
A1She gets up early.
Él se viste para la fiesta.
A1He gets dressed for the party.
Los niños se lavan las manos antes de comer.
A2The children wash their hands before eating.
💡 Grammar Points
Action Done to Yourself
Use 'se' with a verb when the person doing the action is also the person receiving it. Think of it like adding '-self' in English: himself, herself, etc.
❌ Common Pitfalls
Body Parts & Clothing
Mistake: "Él lava su cara."
Correction: Él se lava la cara. (He washes his face.) In Spanish, you use 'se' to show it's their own body part, not possessive words like 'su' (his/her).
⭐ Usage Tips
Part of the Verb
Think of 'se' as being attached to the verb. Many verbs that describe daily routines use it, like 'levantarse' (to get up) or 'vestirse' (to get dressed).
'Se' can also mean 'each other,' showing an action that two or more people do together.
se (Pronoun)
📝 In Action
Los amigos se abrazan.
A2The friends hug each other.
Mis padres se quieren mucho.
A2My parents love each other very much.
Se vieron en el parque.
B1They saw each other in the park.
💡 Grammar Points
Actions Between People
'Se' is used when two or more people do the same action to one another. It's the Spanish way of saying 'each other'.
❌ Common Pitfalls
Forgetting the Plural
Mistake: "Él se hablan."
Correction: Ellos se hablan. (They talk to each other.) This 'each other' meaning only works when you're talking about more than one person.
⭐ Usage Tips
Context is Key
To know if 'se' means 'themselves' or 'each other', look at the context. If the action is something people usually do together, like hugging or talking, it probably means 'each other'.
When you see 'se' like this, it often means you're making a general statement, like 'one does this' or 'something is done,' without naming who does it.
se (Pronoun)
📝 In Action
Aquí se habla español.
A2Spanish is spoken here.
Se venden casas en esta calle.
B1Houses are sold on this street.
¿Cómo se dice 'apple' en español?
A1How do you say 'apple' in Spanish?
Se necesita más tiempo para terminar.
B1More time is needed to finish.
💡 Grammar Points
Making General Rules or Statements
Use 'se' when you want to say something is done in general, without saying exactly who does it. It's very common on signs and in instructions.
❌ Common Pitfalls
Translating 'They' Directly
Mistake: "Ellos dicen que va a llover."
Correction: Se dice que va a llover. (They say it's going to rain.) When 'they' is general and doesn't refer to specific people, 'se' is often the more natural choice.
⭐ Usage Tips
Look for the 'No-Person' Sentence
If you see a sentence with 'se' and a verb, but you can't figure out who is doing the action, it's probably this general meaning.
'Se' steps in to replace 'le' or 'les' to avoid a clunky sound when followed by words like 'lo' or 'la'.
se (Pronoun)
📝 In Action
Le di el libro a Juan. -> Se lo di.
B1I gave the book to Juan. -> I gave it to him.
Les compré flores a mis padres. -> Se las compré.
B1I bought flowers for my parents. -> I bought them for them.
¿Le escribiste la carta a ella? —Sí, se la escribí anoche.
B2Did you write the letter to her? —Yes, I wrote it to her last night.
💡 Grammar Points
The 'Double L' Rule Fixer
Spanish doesn't like the sound of 'le lo' or 'les la'. To fix this, 'le' and 'les' automatically change to 'se' when they come before 'lo', 'la', 'los', or 'las'.
❌ Common Pitfalls
Saying 'Le Lo'
Mistake: "Yo le lo doy a mi hermano."
Correction: Yo se lo doy a mi hermano. (I give it to my brother.) Always remember to change 'le' to 'se' in this situation. It's a rule that never changes.
⭐ Usage Tips
It Still Means 'To Them'
Even though the word changes to 'se', the meaning is still 'to him', 'to her', or 'to them'. You can often clarify who 'se' is by adding 'a él', 'a ella', or 'a ellos' at the end of the sentence.
Sometimes, 'se' doesn't change the meaning but adds a little emphasis, like saying someone ate *up* all the pizza.
se (Pronoun)
📝 In Action
Mi hermano comió la pizza.
A1My brother ate the pizza.
Mi hermano se comió toda la pizza.
B2My brother ate up the whole pizza.
Bebió un vaso de agua.
A1He drank a glass of water.
Se bebió un litro de agua.
B2He drank down a whole liter of water.
💡 Grammar Points
Adding Extra Flavor
This 'se' doesn't always have a direct translation. It just makes the action feel more complete or personal. It shows the person really got involved in the action.
❌ Common Pitfalls
Overusing It
Mistake: "Se caminó al parque."
Correction: Caminó al parque. (He walked to the park.) This emphatic 'se' only works with certain verbs, usually ones involving consuming something (like eating, drinking, reading, learning).
⭐ Usage Tips
Think 'Up' or 'Down'
A good trick is to see if you could add 'up' or 'down' in English. If 'He ate up the pizza' sounds right, you can probably use 'se comió' in Spanish.
✏️ Quick Practice
💡 Quick Quiz: se
Question 1 of 3
Which sentence uses 'se' to mean 'each other'?
📚 More Resources
Frequently Asked Questions
Why does 'se' have so many meanings? It's confusing!
It is confusing at first! Think of 'se' as a multi-tool. Its main job is to relate the action of the verb back to someone or something. Sometimes it points back to the person doing the action ('he washes himself'), sometimes it points to no one in particular ('one speaks Spanish'), and sometimes it's just there to make the sentence sound smoother ('se lo di'). Learning the patterns one by one is the best approach.
What's the difference between 'se' and 'sé'?
The accent mark is everything! 'Se' (without an accent) is the pronoun with all the meanings we've discussed here. 'Sé' (with an accent) is completely different: it means 'I know' (from the verb saber) or is the command form of 'be' (from the verb ser), like 'Sé bueno' (Be good).
When does 'se' go before the verb, and when is it attached to the end?
'Se' usually goes right before the main, active verb (e.g., 'Él se levanta'). It gets attached to the end in three main situations: 1) the verb is in its base '-ar/-er/-ir' form ('levantarse'), 2) the verb is in an '-ando/-iendo' form ('levantándose'), or 3) it's a positive command ('¡Levántate!').