Uses of the Spanish word "se"

This post is about the uses of the word "se" in Spanish.

As a reflexive pronoun of the third person singular and plural
In English, it's enough to say He takes a bath. However, in Spanish you say él se baña. Se acts as an reflexive pronoun. If you say to someone, él baña, he might ask back to you ¿a quién baña? as él baña is incomplete and needs an object.

Substitute for the indirect object "le" or "les" if a direct object (lo, la, los, las) is present in the sentence
Instead of saying le lo voy a dar, we say se lo voy a dar.

It's used when a part of a human body or clothing is involved in the sentence
Instead of using the possessive pronoun su, se is used and the part of the body or the clothing is accompanied by the definite article el or la.

He washes his hands
(Él) se lava las manos (instead of Él lava sus manos

She puts the necklace on
(Ella) se pone el collar (instead of Ella pone su collar)

He washes them (hands)
(Él) se las lava

She puts it on (necklace)
(Ella) se lo pone

Part of a pronominal verbs
Pronominal verbs are verbs that are accompanied by a reflexive pronoun. These verbs have to be memorized. Most of these are verbs of emotion.

Se fue - He went away
Se durmieron - They fell asleep
No te quejes - Don't complain
Se entristece - He feels sad
Se sorprendió - He got surprised

Reciprocal use
Se means each other

They love each other - ellos se quieren

Passive use
A sentence is in passive voice when the doer of the verb is not known. It's more or less has the same meaning of the French on.

En España se vive mejor que en México - The quality of life in Spain is better than in Mexico. (literally means, "One lives better in Spain than in Mexico")
Se fabrican un millón de móviles cada año - A million mobile phones are manufactured every year
Las manos se lavan antes de comer - One should wash his hands before eating
No se casa si no se tiene dinero - One should not marry if he has no money
Se prohibe fumar - No smoking
Se cree que la tierra es plana - It is believed that the earth is flat

Used with verbs such as olvidar to express that something was done or occurred unintentionally

Se me olvidó decirte que... - I forgot to tell you that... (literally means, "Telling you was forgotten to me")
Se me ocurrió una idea - I got an idea
Se nos hizo aburrido el viaje - The journey felt boring (to us)
Se me fue el dolor - It doesn't hurt anymore
Se le pasó el hambre - He's not hungry anymore
Se me quitó la mancha en el vestido - The stain on my dress got removed (by itself)
Se me ha vuelto a averiar el coche - My car has broken down again.

The form "habría" is getting out of style. Learners of Spanish should be aware of

Probably you may have heard someone say or you may have read something like, "me hubiera gustado hacer un viaje". As a Spanish learner, you learned that the word "hubiera" is in past subjunctive and therefore it has to follow a "que", a "si" or "ojalá". But in this sentence it doesn't. Why is that so?

It's because, in the aformentioned sentence, "hubiera" should be "habría". "Habría" is getting out of style in contemporaneous Spanish and it's being replaced little by little by the form "hubiera" which is frowned upon by grammarians.

Let's take a look at some sentences:

Si hubieras comido, no hubieras tenido hambre.
If you had eaten, you wouldn't have gone hungry.

No hubiera aprobado el examen aunque hubiera estudiado mucho.
I wouldn''t have passed the exam even if I had studied.


Some speakers may use "hubiese".

No te hubiese reconocido.
I wouldn't have recognized you.


In some Latin American countries, "hubiera" means "should have" or "could have", such as in:

Me hubieras llamado por teléfono.
You should have called me by phone.

Te hubieras matado. La próxima vez, ten más cuidado.
You could have killed yourself. Be more careful next time.

What's the difference between "podrías haberlo hecho" and "podías haberlo hecho"?

Easy. "Podrías haberlo hecho" is used when there is a condition expressed. Example:

Podría haber terminado si hubiera tenido más tiempo.
I could have finished if I had had more time.

Podrías haberte caído si no hubieras tenido cuidado.
You could have fallen if you hadn't been careful.


If no condition is expressed, then "podías haberlo hecho" or "pudiste haberlo hecho" are preferred.

“Podíamos haber ido al cine para divertirnos un poco” (pero no lo hicimos)
“Podían haber llamado a la policía” (habría sido una buena idea, pero no lo hicieron)
“Podía haber hecho una tortilla para cenar” (pero no se me ocurrió, la verdad)
“Podía haberte pedido consejo”(pero no lo hice porque no quería que te preocuparas por mis problemas)
“¡Podías haberte matado!” (Lo que hiciste era peligroso, pero, gracias a Dios, no te ha pasado nada, no te has matado)
“Podía haberme levantado más temprano, pero tenía un sueño…..” (No me levanté, me quedé en la cama)


Now let's add a condition to the sentences above and let's see what happens.

“Podríamos haber ido al cine” (si no se nos hubiera hecho tan tarde)
“Podrían haber llamado a la policía” (si hubieran tenido un teléfono)
“Podría haber hecho una tortilla para cenar” (si hubiera tenido patatas)
“Podría haberte pedido consejo”(si hubieras estado a mi lado)
“Podrías haberte matado” (si hubieras subido a las rocas).
“Podría haberme levantado más temprano” (si no me hubiera acostado tan tarde)

The condition can be made explicit or not, but it's there.

How to express "should have done something" in Spanish?

There are various ways we can express things we wish should have occured in the past.

The simplest way to express this is by using the preterite form of the verb deber.  Let's take a look at some examples:

Debí hacerlo.
I should have done it.

Debiste llamar a la policía.
You should have called the police.

If you are new to learning Spanish, I recommend you to stick to this form as it's easy to remember and more simple.

However, there are more ways on how to express "should have done something" in Spanish. These are the possible forms:

Preterite form of the verb deber + haber: Debiste haberlo hecho.
Imperfect form of the verb deber + haber: Debías haberlo hecho.
Conditional form of the verb deber + haber: Deberías haberlo hecho.
Past subjunctive of the verb deber + haber: Debieras haberlo hecho.
Imperfect form of the verb tener + haber: Tenías que haberlo hecho.
Conditional form of the verb tener + haber: Tendrías que haberlo hecho.


Most of the time, the preference of the speaker is what makes the difference among these forms. I had a Spanish friend that once told me that the "debiste hacerlo" and "debiste haberlo hecho" form sound more of from mexican telenovelas. In Spain, the form "tenía que haberlo hecho" is much used as far as I can notice on how Spaniards speak. While the conditional forms and the one with past subjunctive sound formal and polite to native speakers.

To some speakers, the form debí haberlo hecho has more "recency" than debí hacerlo, as in:

Mi hermana murió hace años. Debí pasar más tiempo con ella cuando vivía.

Estaba distraído cuando mi hermana me hablaba. Hay algo que me comentó que no entendí del todo. La debí haber escuchado.


In some Latin American countries, especially in Mexico, people would use "hubiera" + the past participle to express "should have done something".

Me hubieras llamado por teléfono.
You should have called me by phone.

Aunque + SUBJUNCTIVE or INDICATIVE mood?

The answer depends whether the information is shared or is known by the person speaking and the person the speaker is speaking to. Let's take a look at this dialogue:


Hijo: Mamá, el profesor dice que el examen de mañana va a ser fácil.
Mamá: Vale. Pero aunque vaya a ser fácil, tienes que estudiar de todos modos.

In the dialogue above the son informs his mother that tomorrow's exam is going to be easy. Upon saying that, the fact that the exam is going to be easy is known both by the son and the mother. To make things simplier, the subjunctive mood is used if the information is known by the speaker and the person the speaker is talking to.


Let's take a look at more examples:

Carlo: Según el pronóstico meteorológico, va a llover mañana.
Marco: Aunuqe llueva mañana, iremos a la playa.

Susan: El novio de Cristina es muy rico.
Ana: Aunuqe sea muy rico, Cristina quiere trabajar de todas formas.


On the other hand, if the information is only known by the person speaking, the indicative is used. Let's take a look at this example:

Carlo: Ya he visto la casa. Es muy bonita. Aunque le faltan decoraciones.
Marco: Pero aunque le falten decoraciones mi hermano quiere comprarla.

In the first sentence, "faltar" is in indicative mood because Marco didn't know that the house lacks decorations., that is to say, Carlo is informing Marco about it. Remember that the indicative mood is used when stating an information. In the second sentence, however, "faltar" is in subjunctive because the fact that the house lacks decorations has become known by the two.

I hope everything now is clear. If you still have any question about this, post it in the comment section.

Spanish subordinate conjunctions

A subordinate conjunction introduces a subordinate clause which is a group of words containing a subject and verb but dependent on a main clause.

Here is a list of the most common Spanish subordinate conjunctions together with some samples sentences I got from spanishdict.com I also indicated whether a verb in subjunctive or indicative should be used.


A fin de que + SUBJUNCTIVE -  in order that, so that

La agarró del brazo a fin de que no se cayera sobre el hielo
He grabbed onto her arm so that she wouldn't fall over on the ice.


A menos que + SUBJUNCTIVE  - unless

A menos que salgamos ahora, llegaremos tarde a la fiesta.
Unless we leave now, we'll be late to the party.


Antes de que + SUBJUNCTIVE or INDICATIVE - prior to

Recuérdame que te dé el libro antes de que te vayas.
Remind me to give you the book before you go.


Así que + INDICATIVE - so, as a consequence

Estaba muy estresado, así que decidí ir al spa para recargar las pilas.
I was very stressed, so I decided to go to the spa to recharge my batteries.


Aunque + INDICATIVE or SUBJUNCTIVE - although, even if, even though

Aunque está lloviendo, el paisaje está precioso.
Even though it's raining, the scenery is beautiful.

Aunque no quedaba mucho tiempo, terminaron la carrera.
Although there wasn't much time left, they finished the race.

Me encantan los partidos de baloncesto aunque no sepa lo que está pasando.
I love basketball games even if I don't know what's going on.

La pizza está rica aunque no es la mejor que he probado.
It's a tasty pizza although it's not the best I've tried.


Como + INDICATIVE - since (expresses cause)

Como no estabas aquí, tomé la decisión por ti.
Since you were not here, I made the decision for you.


Como + SUBJUNCTIVE - if (expresses condition)

Como llegues tarde al examen, no se te dará más tiempo.
If you arrive late for the exam, you will not be given extra time.


Como si + PAST SUBJUNCTIVE - as if, as though

Elisa estaba deprimida. Era como si ya no tuviera ganas de triunfar y ser una estrella.
Elisa was depressed. It was as if she wasn't willing to succeed and become a star anymore.

Mi abuela tiene alzéimer. Me habla como si no me conociera.
My grandmother has Alzheimer's. She speaks to me as though she didn't know me.


Con tal de que + SUBJUNCTIVE - as long as, provided that

Puedes escuchar música con tal de que uses los audífonos.
You can listen to music as long as you use headphones.

Podrá seguir trabajando aquí con tal de que cumpla todos sus deberes.
He will be able to continue working here, provided that he fulfills all his duties.


Cuando + SUBJUNCTIVE or INDICATIVE - when, as, whenever

Cuando hace calor, nos gusta desayunar en el jardín.
When it's hot, we like to have breakfast in the yard.

Justo cuando empezábamos a divertirnos, se cortó la luz.
Just as we were starting to have fun, the lights went out.

Llámame cuando tengas ganas.
Call me whenever you like.


De modo que + INDICATIVE - in such a way that (expresses consecuence)

Entró silenciosamente, de modo que yo no lo oí.
He got in silently in such a way that I didn't hear him.


De modo que + SUBJUNCTIVE - so that (expresses purpose)

Entró silenciosamente, de modo que yo no lo oyera.
He got in silently so that I couldn't hear him.


Desde que + SUBJUNCTIVE or INDICATIVE - since

No lo he vuelto a ver desde que cambió de trabajo.
I haven't seen him since he changed jobs.


Después de que + SUBJUNCTIVE or INDICATIVE - after

Limpia la encimera después de que acabes de lavar los platos.
Clean the countertop after you finish washing the dishes.


Donde + SUBJUNCTIVE or INDICATIVE - where

Estoy en el restaurante donde comimos el otro día.
I'm at the restaurant where we ate the other day.

Sal a donde quieras. A mí no me importa.
Go wherever you want. I don't care.


En caso de que + SUBJUNCTIVE - in the event that, in case

En caso de que el vuelo sea cancelado, pueden tomar el siguiente.
In the event that your flight is canceled, you can take the following one.


Hasta que + SUBJUNCTIVE - untill

No dejará de trabajar hasta que consiga su meta de ventas.
He won't stop working until he reaches his sales goal.


Mientras + INDICATIVE - while

Lavó los platos mientras yo dormía la siesta.
He did the dishes while I took a nap.


Mientras + SUBJUNCTIVE - as long as

Mientras trabaje aquí, nunca podré tomarme unas vacaciones en condiciones.
As long as I work here, I'll never manage to take a proper vacation.

Mientras termines los deberes a tiempo, me da igual que escuches música o no.
As long as you finish your homework on time, I don't mind if you listen to music.


Para que + SUBJUNCTIVE - so that

Deja tu correo electrónico para que podamos mantenernos en contacto.
Leave your email address so that we can stay in touch.


Porque + INDICATIVE - because

Mi hermano está triste porque no ganó el concurso.
My brother is upset because he did not win the contest.


Puesto que + INDICATIVE - since, given that, because, as

Puesto que está lloviendo, no vamos a ir a nadar hoy.
Since it's raining, we're not going swimming today.


Que + INDICATIVE or SUBJUNCTIVE - that

Tenga en cuenta que algunas de estas características son diferentes.
Note that some of these characteristics are different.

No voy a llevar el paraguas. No creo que vaya a llover.
I'm not taking an umbrella. I don't think that it's going to rain.


Si + INDICATIVE - if

Si llueve mañana, cancelaremos el picnic.
If it rains tomorrow, we will cancel the picnic.


Sin que + SUBJUNCTIVE - without

Los programas pueden realizar cambios en el equipo sin que usted lo sepa.
The programs can make changes to your computer without you knowing about it. 

Some useful Spanish adjectives and their opposites

Here is a short list of some useful and common adjectives for beginner level in Spanish.

English		Spanish
alive	dead	vivo	muerto
beautiful	ugly	hermoso	feo
big	small	grande	pequeño
bitter	sweet	amargo	dulce
cheap	expensive	barato	caro
clean	dirty	limpio	sucio
curly	straight	rizado	lizo
difficult	easy	difícil	fácil
good	bad	bueno	malo
early	late	temprano	tarde
fat	thin	gordo	delgado
full	empty	lleno	vacío
hot	cold	caliente	frío
happy	sad/unhappy	feliz	triste
hardworking	lazy	trabajoso	perezoso
new	old	nuevo	viejo
nice	nasty	majo	bruto
intelligent	stupid	inteligente	estúpido
interesting	boring	interesante	aburrido
light	heavy	ligero	pesado
polite	rude/impolite	cortés	grosero
poor	rich	pobre	rico
quiet	noisy	tranquilo	ruidoso
right	wrong	correcto	incorrecto
safe	dangerous	seguro	peligroso
short	long	corto	largo
soft	hard	blando	duro
single	married	soltero	casado
well	ill/unwell	bien	malo
white	black	blanco	negro