Se - Different Meanings and Uses

The 5 Different Uses of 'Se' in Portuguese:

In the Portuguese language, the word se has several uses which may make it a bit confusing. Today we’re going to understand the 5 different uses of se in Portuguese and how to use it correctly in different contexts.

1) Impersonal Pronoun:

Se can be used as an impersonal pronoun, indicating a generalization or an unspecified subject. When se is an impersonal pronoun, the verb is intransitive (it doesn’t need an object).

• 🚆 Vai-se melhor de comboio. (One goes better by train.)
• Vive-se bem em Portugal. (One lives well in Portugal.)
• Come-se bem em restaurantes japoneses. (One eats well in Japanese restaurants.)

In these cases, se is accompanied by the verb in the third person singular.

2) Alternative to the passive voice (Se apassivante):

Very similar to the impersonal pronoun is the se apassivante, which is used as an alternative to the passive voice. The main difference is that there is an object that receives the action of the verb (transitive verb).

• Fala-se Português. (Portuguese is spoken.)
• Alugam-se quartos. (Rooms are rented.)

In these cases, if the noun is singular, the verb must be in the 3rd person singular and if the noun is plural, it must be in the 3rd person plural.

3) Reflexive Pronoun:

Se is often used as a reflexive pronoun. This type of pronoun is used in reflexive verbs like lembrar-se (to remember), chamar-se (to be called) and divertir-se (to have fun).

Note that the reflexive pronoun se is used with the third person (singular and plural) as the other persons have other specific reflexive pronouns.

• Ela chama-se Ana. (She’s called Ana.)
• Eles divertiram-se muito. (They had a lot of fun.)

4) Reciprocal Pronoun:

Se can also express reciprocity between two or more people or things.

• Eles amam-se muito. (They love each other very much.)
• Os países ajudam-se na luta contra a pobreza. (The countries help each other in the fight against poverty.)

5) Conjunction:

Finally, se (if) can also function as a conjunction to introduce conditional clauses, indicating a condition that must be met for the main clause to happen.

• 🌧️ Se chover, eu não sairei de casa. (If it rains, I won't leave the house.)
• 😊 Ele só será feliz se conseguir o emprego. (He will only be happy if he gets the job.)