Things That Happen by Themselves

Level 4

Compare Abrín a porta (I opened the door) with A porta abriuse (the door opened). With se, the thing that changes is the subject and nobody is presented as doing it.

How It Works

Three ways to talk about a change

  • Someone does it: Abrín a porta (I opened the door).
  • It happens by itself: A porta abriuse (the door opened).
  • Someone does it, but we do not say who: Ábrense as portas ás nove (the doors are opened at nine). This is the passive se.

When the change affects a person by accident, Galician adds an indirect pronoun: Queimóuseme o arroz (my rice got burnt). See accidental se.

Agreement

The verb agrees with the thing that changes: A luz acendeuse, As luces acendéronse.

Where se goes

In a plain statement, se follows the verb even if the subject comes first: A porta abriuse. It moves in front after a negative, a question word, a subordinator or adverbs like xa: A porta non se abriu, Xa se abriu, Cando se abriu? (see pronouns after the verb).

Verbs that do not take se

Some verbs of change are intransitive in Galician and do not take se, even where Spanish does: Caeu da bicicleta (she fell off her bike), Morreu o ano pasado. Others simply work without se: O leite ferveu, O enfermo mellorou, Os prezos aumentaron. See pronominal and non-pronominal verbs.

Changes in people

For a change in a person's state or character, Galician often uses poñerse, facerse, volverse or quedar: Púxose vermello (he went red).

Examples (6)

  1. A porta abriuse de súpeto.

    The door suddenly opened.

    No one is said to open it. Se follows the verb in this plain statement.

  2. O xeado derreteuse ao sol.

    The ice cream melted in the sun.

  3. A sala encheuse de xente en cinco minutos.

    The room filled with people in five minutes.

    Encherse de means to fill up with something.

  4. As luces acendéronse soas.

    The lights came on by themselves.

    The verb is plural because as luces is plural. Acendéronse carries an accent once se is added.

  5. A vela apagouse cunha corrente de aire.

    The candle went out in a draught.

  6. A porta non se abriu.

    The door did not open.

    After non, se goes before the verb.

Common Mistakes

  • Putting se before the verb just because the subject comes first.

    A porta se abriu.
    A porta abriuse.

    A subject in front does not move the pronoun. In a plain statement, se follows the verb.

  • Leaving the verb singular with a plural subject.

    Abriuse as fiestras co vento.
    Abríronse as fiestras co vento.

    As fiestras is the subject, so the verb must be plural.

  • Adding se to caer, as in Spanish.

    Caeuse da bicicleta.
    Caeu da bicicleta.

    Caer is used without se in Galician.

How It Connects

Tap a pattern to see what it builds on and what it leads to.

Things That Happen by ThemselvesLevel 4

Learn This First

Some pronominal verbs present a change without naming its external cause.

Words in This Pattern