Impersonal se
An Unnamed Human Agent
With an impersonal se construction, a third-person singular verb describes what people do without naming an individual subject.
How It Works
Common examples involve an activity with an understood human actor: ovdje se radi, ondje se dobro jede. English may use “people,” “one,” “you,” or a passive-like paraphrase depending on context.
Past impersonal forms use neuter singular: Jučer se dugo čekalo. This does not identify the people waiting as neuter. It is the grammatical pattern used when no personal subject supplies agreement.
Distinguish this from Prodaju se knjige, where nominative plural knjige controls a passive verb. Impersonal constructions retaining an accusative object also occur, with stylistic restrictions; do not use them to erase agreement from an ordinary se-passive.
Examples (3)
- U knjižnici se govori tiho.
People speak quietly in the library.
- Jučer se pred ulazom dugo čekalo.
There was a long wait outside the entrance yesterday.
- U ovom se selu rano ustaje.
People in this village get up early.
How It Connects
Learn This First
An impersonal se construction suppresses a specific actor without adding a nominative patient subject.
Related Patterns
- Passive se AgreementPassive Se with Agreement
A se-passive has an affected subject that controls agreement.
Level 5 - Reciprocal se / jedan drugogaActions Between Participants
Reciprocal se has a different participant structure.
Level 4 - Narrative Past Without the Auxiliary
Some narrative forms also omit an overt auxiliary.
Level 6
Words in This Pattern
Practice Impersonal se in Bubblegum
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