Impersonal verbs in Spanish

• An example of an impersonal verb in English is 'one has' or 'one goes'.

• Use the pronoun se and the he/she form of a verb to form an impersonal verb.

• Some modal verbs always use the impersonal se. These include: se puede, se debe, se necesita.

Impersonal verbs in English include verbs such as ‘one does’ or ‘one goes’. These sound very formal in English but are used a lot more commonly in Spanish. Using them will help to make you sound more like a native Spanish speaker.

To turn any Spanish verb into an impersonal verb, use the pronoun se and the he/she form of the verb.

For example:

Se necesita un boli. - One needs a pen.

If there is a subject in the sentence, use the singular verb ending (the he/she ending) for a single subject, and the ‘they’ verb ending for plural subjects.

For example:

Se habla español. - Spanish is spoken.

Las puertas se abren a las ocho. - The doors open at eight.

The following modal verbs often are used with the impersonal se:

se puede - one can

se debe - one must

se necesita - one needs

Se puede ir al restaurante. - One can go to the restaurant.

Se debe lavar los platos. - One must wash the dishes.

Se necesita un ordenador. - One needs a computer.

Remember

Modal verbs in Spanish are followed by an infinitive in Spanish.

Hay que followed by the infinitive is an impersonal way of saying ‘one has to do something’.

For example:

Hay que hacer los deberes. - Has to be done.

Weather verbs are always impersonal and they are written in the he/she form of the verb.

For example:

Hace frío. - It’s cold.

Lueve. - It’s raining.

Practise what you've learned about impersonal verbs in Spanish with this quiz.

1. Parece que

Parece que means ‘it seems that’.

For example:

Parece que es normal. - It seems to be normal.

2. Basta

Basta followed by the infinitive means ‘you have only to’.

For example:

Basta hacer los deberes. - You have only to do your homework.

3. Vale la pena

Vale la pena means ‘it’s worth it’.

For example:

El curso es difícil pero vale la pena. - The course is complicated but it is worth it.

Vale la pena followed by the infinitive means ‘it’s worth doing something’.

For example:

Vale la pena tener un empleo a tiempo parcial. - It’s worth having a part-time job.

4. Hace falta

Hace falta followed by the infinitive means ‘it’s necessary to’.

For example:

Hace falta ir al banco. - It’s necessary to go to the bank.

5. Hace falta

Falta followed by the past participle means ‘it is still to be'.

For example:

Falta estar decidido. - It’s still to be decided.

Practise what you've learned about impersonal verbs in Spanish with this quiz.

Now you have learned about impersonal verbs in Spanish why not explore the conditional tense in Spanish?