Passive With се

The Passive with Се

Level 3Sounds Like stradatelen zalog sʺs se

Add се to a transitive verb and its object becomes the subject: Продават се билети (Tickets are sold). Who sells them is not said.

How It Works

1. How it is built. Take a transitive verb and add the short word се. The object of the active sentence becomes the subject:

  • Тук продават билети. (They sell tickets here.)
  • Тук се продават билети. (Tickets are sold here.)

2. Agreement. The verb is in the third person and agrees with the new subject: Продава се къща (House for sale), Продават се къщи (Houses for sale). The same holds in the past: Мостът се строеше две години (The bridge was being built for two years).

3. Where it is used. It is typical of general truths, instructions and notices: Как се пише това?, Супата се сервира топла (The soup is served hot), Вратата се отваря автоматично (The door opens automatically). Imperfective verbs are the usual choice, because such sentences describe something repeated or ongoing (see perfective and imperfective aspect). A perfective verb can also be used for one completed event: Проблемът се реши бързо (The problem was solved quickly).

4. The position of се. Се is a short form, so it never starts a sentence: Продават се билети or Билети се продават тук, but never Се продават… (see the position of short forms).

5. Usually no doer. This passive normally leaves the doer out. To name the doer, Bulgarian usually prefers the passive with съм and от: Къщата е построена от баща ми (The house was built by my father). See the passive with съм and the doer in passive sentences.

6. Other uses of се. The same word also marks reflexive verbs (Детето се мие, The child is washing) and sentences with no subject at all (Тук не се пуши, No smoking here; see impersonal се). Meaning tells them apart: a car cannot wash itself, so Колата се мие means The car is being washed.

Examples (6)

  1. Тук се продават билети за концерта.

    Tickets for the concert are sold here.

    Продават is plural because билети is plural.

  2. Как се пише твоето име?

    How is your name spelled?

  3. Този хляб се пече всяка сутрин.

    This bread is baked every morning.

  4. Продава се апартамент в центъра.

    Apartment for sale in the center.

    Word by Word: Is-sold apartment in the center.

    A typical notice. Singular продава agrees with апартамент.

  5. Вратата се заключва в десет вечерта.

    The door is locked at ten in the evening.

  6. Проблемът се реши за един ден.

    The problem was solved in one day.

    A perfective verb for one completed event.

Common Mistakes

  • Keeping the verb singular with a plural subject.

    Тук се продава билети.
    Тук се продават билети.

    In this passive билети is the subject, so the verb must agree with it and be plural.

  • Starting the sentence with се.

    Се продава кола.
    Продава се кола.

    Се is a short form and cannot come first in a sentence. Put it after the verb or after another word.

How It Connects

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Passive With сеLevel 3The Passive with Се

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The passive with се needs се and aspect.

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