се продава
The Passive with Се
When it does not matter who does something, put се before the verb: Се продава стан. (Flat for sale.) Како се пишува тоа? (How is that spelled?)
How It Works
How it works
Take a verb that has an object, such as продава (sells). Put the object in the subject slot and add се:
- Некој продава стан. (Someone is selling a flat.) → Се продава стан. (A flat is for sale.)
- Како го пишуваш тоа? (How do you write that?) → Како се пишува тоа? (How is that written?)
Agreement: the verb takes the he or she form for one thing and the they form for several: Се продава весник. but Се продаваат весници.
Position: се is a short word and comes before the verb, even at the start of a sentence: Се бара работник. (Worker wanted.) After не, ќе or да it moves in behind them: Тоа не се прави. (That is not done.) See ред пред глаголот: не; ќе; ми; го.
No doer. This passive is used when the doer is unknown or unimportant, so it normally does not name one. To say who did something, the passive with сум and од is the usual choice: Книгата е напишана од познат автор. See пасив: сум + глаголска придавка + од.
Other uses of се: the same word also makes reflexive verbs such as се мие (washes) (see се + глагол: се мие) and general statements without a subject, such as Овде не се пуши (see безлично се: се вели; не се пуши). In the passive, there is always a thing that the verb agrees with.
Examples (6)
- Се продава стан.
Flat for sale.
Word by Word: Self sells flat.
A common sign on windows and in ads.
- Како се пишува тоа?
How is that spelled?
Word by Word: How self writes that?
- Во оваа продавница се продаваат весници.
Newspapers are sold in this shop.
Word by Word: In this shop self sell newspapers.
Весници is plural, so the verb is продаваат.
- Мостот се гради веќе две години.
The bridge has been under construction for two years.
Word by Word: Bridge-the self builds already two years.
- Продавницата се отвора во осум часот.
The shop opens at eight o'clock.
Word by Word: Shop-the self opens at eight hour-the.
- Ова јадење се прави лесно.
This dish is easy to make.
Word by Word: This dish self makes easily.
Common Mistakes
Putting се after the verb.
Продава се стан.Се продава стан.In Macedonian, се and other short words come before a normal verb, even at the start of a sentence. The order Продава се is Serbian or Croatian.
Leaving out се.
Како пишува тоа?Како се пишува тоа?Without се, тоа becomes the one doing the writing, so the sentence asks how that one writes, not how the word is spelled. Се is what turns it into a passive.
Keeping the singular with a plural subject.
Во оваа продавница се продава весници.Во оваа продавница се продаваат весници.In the passive, весници is the subject, so the verb must be plural: се продаваат.
How It Connects
Learn This First
The passive with се builds on се-verbs.
Related Patterns
- се вели / не се пушиImpersonal Се
Impersonal се has no subject at all, while the passive has one that the verb agrees with.
Level 4 - сум + Verbal Adjective + одThe Passive with Од
This passive can name the doer with од.
Level 4 - се смее / се плаши / се надеваVerbs That Always Take Се
Some verbs always have се and are not passive, such as се смее.
Level 3 - The Order Before the Verb
Се takes its place in the fixed order of short words before the verb.
Level 3 - Short Pronouns at the Start
Like short pronouns, се can open a sentence.
Level 2
Words in This Pattern
Practice се продава in Bubblegum
Poppy, your AI tutor, writes Macedonian lessons at your level. Tap any grammar point in a lesson to see its full explanation.
