Impersonal se
The Impersonal Se is the Romanian way of saying 'one does,' 'people say,' or 'it is done.' It uses the reflexive pronoun se with a verb frozen in the third-person singular.
How It Works
The Impersonal Se (reflexivul impersonal) is a vital tool for speaking naturally in Romanian. Here is how it works:
- Verb Form: The verb is always in the third-person singular, regardless of how many people might be involved in the action.
- Placement: In the present tense, se comes before the verb (e.g., se spune). In the compound perfect, it contracts with the auxiliary verb to become s-a (e.g., s-a spus).
- Function: It is used when the subject is generic, unknown, or irrelevant. It is very common in:
- Signs: Nu se fumează (No smoking).
- General Truths: Aici se mănâncă bine (One eats well here).
- Rumors/Sayings: Se zice că... (They say that...).
Important Distinction: Do not confuse this with the passive se. In the Impersonal Se, the verb never changes to plural. If you are talking about a specific object being acted upon (e.g., 'houses are sold'), the verb must agree with that object, making it Passive Se. If there is no object or the action is just a general state, it is Impersonal Se.
Examples (5)
- Aici se vorbește românește.
Romanian is spoken here / One speaks Romanian here.
Word by Word: Here itself speaks Romanian-ly.
This is a classic impersonal construction. The verb 'vorbește' is singular because the focus is on the general act of speaking.
- Se zice că va ploua diseară.
They say it will rain tonight / It is said that it will rain tonight.
Word by Word: Itself says that will rain tonight.
Used to report rumors or general information where the specific 'sayers' are not identified.
- Nu se poate intra fără bilet.
One cannot enter without a ticket / It is not possible to enter without a ticket.
Word by Word: Not itself can enter without ticket.
Commonly used for rules and regulations.
- S-a lucrat mult la acest proiect.
A lot of work was done on this project / One worked a lot on this project.
Word by Word: Itself has worked much at this project.
In the past tense (compound perfect), 'se' + 'a' becomes 's-a'. The verb remains singular.
- Iarna se schiază în munți.
In winter, people ski in the mountains.
Word by Word: Winter-the itself skis in mountains.
Describes a general custom or activity associated with a time or place.
Common Mistakes
Making the verb plural to match a general 'they'.
Se spun că este frig.Se spune că este frig.Even if you mean 'people (plural) say,' the impersonal 'se' construction strictly requires the third-person singular verb form.
How It Connects
Learn This First
To understand the impersonal 'se', you first need to be familiar with the reflexive pronoun 'se' itself. Since this construction typically uses the third-person singular form of the verb, a solid grasp of present tense conjugations and the Romanian tendency to omit specific subject pronouns is necessary to see how 'se' creates a general, 'one does' or 'people do' meaning.
Related Patterns
- Passive se
The Passive Se is the 'cousin' of the Impersonal Se; it looks similar but requires the verb to agree in number with the object/subject.
Level 3 - Passive With a fiThe Fi Passive
A fi plus an agreeing participle forms another passive construction in both speech and writing.
Level 3 - The Compound Perfect
Understanding how 'se' combines with past tense auxiliaries (forming 's-a') is necessary for using this pattern in the past.
Level 2
Learn Next
Patterns that build on this one.
Words in This Pattern
Practice Impersonal se in Bubblegum
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