La impersonalidad en español (videolección)

German has man and English has one or you. Spanish has several ways to speak without mentioning a specific person. This lesson explains the impersonal structures, with special attention to German speakers.

Learn how to use the impersonal mode in Spanish with this free Spanish lesson brought to you by Tilde Madrid Spanish school in Madrid

Key points

Se + verb in the third person: Aquí se habla español. En España se cena tarde.
The third person plural when we do not know who does the action: Dicen que va a llover. Llaman a la puerta.
Uno or una + verb for general experiences that include the speaker: Uno nunca sabe.
Tú with a general meaning, very common in conversation: En Madrid sales a cenar a las diez.

Frequent doubts

How do I say man sagt in Spanish?

Se dice or dicen: Se dice que es el mejor restaurante. Dicen que es el mejor restaurante.

Se vende or se venden pisos?

With a plural noun, the verb goes in the plural: Se venden pisos. With a singular noun, it stays singular: Se vende piso.

Can I use la gente to speak in general?

Yes: La gente cena tarde en España. It is a natural way to make general statements.

Part of Spanish Sessions, the YouTube channel of the teachers at Tilde Madrid — more than 3 million views.

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Key points

Frequent doubts

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