Passive se: se venden casas
B1Grammar path · Lesson 60 of 86 · Stage B1 · Complex sentences
Use passive se when what matters is the action and the thing affected, not the person doing it: signs, ads, recipes, instructions and general facts. Native speakers use it far more often than the passive with ser. Build it with se + a third-person verb that agrees with the thing: se vende una casa, but se venden casas. Learners most often confuse it with impersonal se. Look at the noun: if a thing acts as the subject, the verb agrees with it (singular or plural), while impersonal se always keeps the verb singular and has no such subject.
Practise this lesson · 10 sentences
Form
se + verbo (3.ª persona singular) + sustantivo singularse + verbo (3.ª persona plural) + sustantivo pluralno + se + verbo (3.ª persona) + sustantivo¿(palabra interrogativa) + se + verbo (3.ª persona) + sustantivo?When to use it
Signs and ads
Signs only need to say what is done, not who does it. The verb agrees with the noun that follows.
Recipes and instructions
When describing the steps of a process, se keeps the text neutral so it applies to anyone.
Events and general facts
Use it when the doer is unknown, unimportant or people in general. It works in any tense.
Don't confuse it with
With passive se there is a thing acting as subject and the verb agrees with it: se venden casas. If there is no such noun (se vive bien aquí) or the object is a person introduced by 'a' (se ayuda a los vecinos), it is impersonal se and the verb stays singular.
Passive voice with serIn everyday speech choose se: se construyó un puente. The passive with ser (fue construido) is more formal, mostly written, and used when you want to name the doer with 'por'. Passive se does not allow 'por' + doer.
Frequently asked questions
When do I use se vende and when se venden?
The verb agrees with the thing: a singular noun takes se vende (se vende una casa), a plural noun takes se venden (se venden casas).
Can I add por + the doer to a passive se sentence?
No. If you need to name the doer, use ser + participio: la casa fue vendida por el banco.
How do I tell passive se from impersonal se?
Passive se has a thing as subject and the verb agrees with it. Impersonal se has no such subject, so the verb is always singular: se trabaja mucho aquí.
Does passive se work in the past and future?
Yes, it works in every tense: se vendieron diez carros ayer, se abrirán nuevas tiendas el próximo año.
Can I use passive se when the object is a person?
With non-specific people, yes: se buscan meseros. With specific people introduced by a, it becomes impersonal se and the verb is singular: se entrevistó a los candidatos.