se
Se Before Other Third-Person Clitics
Reflexive es takes the form se before another weak pronoun in the ordinary combined pattern.
How It Works
The standalone reflexive in es recorda changes shape in se'n recorda. Before another pronoun, the fuller se form supplies a pronounceable and conventionally spelled cluster: se li acosta, se'ls mira, se n'adona. Its grammatical person has not changed.
The following pronoun's spelling still depends on adjacency and elision. Se li stays separate; se'n has an apostrophe. Before a vowel-initial verb, se n'adona places the apostrophe farther right.
Some constructions use es/se impersonally rather than reflexively, so identify the meaning before calling every se a self-object. The spelling rule explains the shape of the cluster; it does not replace the analysis of each pronoun's function.
Examples (3)
- Se'n recorda perfectament.
She remembers it perfectly.
- Se n'adona ara.
He realizes it now.
- Se li acosta amb prudència.
She approaches him cautiously.
How It Connects
Learn This First
Identify each clitic’s function before ordering a larger cluster. Preserve the reflexive element with en or hi throughout conjugation.
Related Patterns
Words in This Pattern
Practice se in Bubblegum
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