Key Takeaways
¡Buenos días, Estudiante!
Ready to acquire some new knowledge about the Spanish language? This lesson focuses on a vital topic of Spanish grammar. Today, we will learn about impersonal expressions in Spanish.
Impersonal expressions in Spanish are sentences without a specific subject, often used to make general statements. With impersonal “se” expressions, we can talk about things and ideas like “people,” “one,” or “you” in English.
After you complete the lesson (and the exercises below), you will learn the following:
While you are exploring and enjoying your Spanish adventure, sometimes you will come across phrases where nobody is named, but everyone understands the meaning, like this sentence: “Se vive bien aquí” (“You live well here”).
It’s a bit like when we say in English, “you never know” or “they say it’s going to rain.” In these expressions, no specific person is doing the action, but the idea is clear.
These impersonal expressions are everywhere, and once you know how they work, your Spanish will sound much more natural.
Ready to learn more about the impersonal expressions of the Spanish language?
Impersonal expressions in Spanish are sentences that let us talk about actions or ideas without specifying who is doing them.
We can use them for making general statements about people, customs, or situations where the subject is unknown or unimportant.
One of the most common ways to form impersonal expressions in Spanish is by using the pronoun se followed by a verb in the third person singular.
The formula to create impersonal se expressions is simple:
se + verb (third person singular)
That’s it. With this structure, you can describe habits, rules, and general truths without worrying about a subject.
Lets take a look at a few examples below:
EXAMPLES:
Se vive bien en España. (People live well in Spain.)
Se trabaja mucho en esta empresa. (One works a lot in this company.)
Se dice que la película es muy buena. (They say the movie is very good.)
Se aprende español practicando todos los días. (You learn Spanish by practicing every day.)
Se come tarde en México. (People eat late in Mexico.)
While expressions with se are the most common ones, you will discover several more forms of impersonal expressions in Spanish that you will use on your journey. We will go over them together in the next section.
When we talk about impersonal expressions in Spanish, we can say that there are 5 different types of impersonal expressions that you will probably use often in your everyday Spanish activities.
TYPES OF IMPERSONAL EXPRESSIONS:
1) Impersonal se
2) Impersonal verbs
3) Es + adjective + que + subjunctive expressions
4) 3rd person plural impersonal expressions or “General They Impersonals”
5) Use of uno/una as impersonal pronouns
Let’s go over each type separately below. First one on our list is “Impersonal Se.”
The impersonal se is a grammatical construction in Spanish that we use to express general or indefinite actions without specifying who performs them.
It is a way to make statements about what “one,” “you,” “they,” or “people in general” do, without naming a particular subject.
Formula
se + verb (3rd person singular)
When Do We Use It?
To make general statements or observations.
To express facts, habits, or customs where the subject is unknown or unimportant.
You can also find it in instructions, signs, or public notices. Check out some examples below:
EXAMPLES:
Se vende fruta fresca en el mercado.
(Fresh fruit is sold in the market.)
No se permite fumar aquí.
(Smoking is not allowed here.)
Se necesita ayuda en la oficina.
(Help is needed in the office.)
Se trabaja mucho en esta empresa.
(People work a lot in this company.)
Impersonal verbs in Spanish are verbs that do not refer to a specific person or subject.
They are typically used in the third person singular form and often describe general states, weather conditions, existence, or natural phenomena.
When Do We Use Them?
We use them to describe weather conditions (rain, snow, heat, cold), to state the existence of things or people, or to express natural actions without a specific subject.
LIST OF COMMON IMPERSONAL VERBS:
Hacer (used for weather)
Llover (to rain)
Nevar (to snow)
Hay (there is/there are):
Estar (used with weather conditions):
EXAMPLES:
Hace mucho viento hoy.
(It’s very windy today.)
Llueve frecuentemente en abril.
(It rains frequently in April.)
Hay muchas estrellas en el cielo.
(There are many stars in the sky.)
Está oscuro afuera.
(It’s dark outside.)
Nieva mucho en las montañas en invierno.
(It snows a lot in the mountains in winter.)
This is a very common way to make impersonal statements expressing opinions, feelings, necessity, or uncertainty. The structure uses the formula:
es + adjective (in masculine singular) + que + verb in the subjunctive mood.
When Do We Use It?
We use it to express emotions, judgments, or attitudes.
We can also use it to highlight importance, necessity, possibility, or doubt, and to talk about something in a general, impersonal way without a specific subject.
Important Notes
The adjective always stays in the masculine singular form, even if the subject is feminine or plural.
The verb after que is conjugated in the subjunctive because these expressions often signal doubt, subjectivity, or uncertainty.
If the statement expresses a fact or certainty, the indicative mood is used instead (e.g., Es verdad que…).
EXAMPLES:
Es importante que estudies todos los días.
(It’s important that you study every day.)
Es necesario que lleguemos temprano.
(It’s necessary that we arrive early.)
Es posible que llueva esta tarde.
(It’s possible that it will rain this afternoon.)
Es bueno que estés aquí.
(It’s good that you are here.)
Es raro que no hayan llamado todavía.
(It’s strange that they haven’t called yet.)
Sometimes we can use a verb in the third person plural form (ellos/ellas) without actually mentioning the subject.
This construction is used to make general statements about what “people” do, say, or think, but without specifying exactly who.
When Do We Use It?
To express general statements about people’s actions or opinions, we can use it when the subject is unknown, unimportant, or intentionally left vague or we can use it in spoken Spanish or informal contexts.
Important Notes
The subject pronoun ellos/ellas is not used. Only the verb conjugated in the 3rd person plural is used.
English usually translates these sentences as “they,” “people,” or “one,” but the structure is unique to Spanish.
EXAMPLES:
Dicen que va a llover mañana.
(They say it’s going to rain tomorrow.)
Hacen muchas preguntas en familia.
(People ask many questions in family.)
Siempre llegan tarde a las reuniones.
(They are always late to meetings.)
Trabajan mucho en esta empresa.
(People work a lot in this company.)
Creen que es una buena idea.
(They think it’s a good idea.)
We can use Uno (meaning “one”) as an impersonal pronoun in Spanish to talk about people in general or to make general statements, similar to the English “one” or “you” in a vague sense.
When Do We Use It?
We use it to express general truths or common behaviors. We use it when we want to speak in a neutral and formal tone.
You can also use it to make statements that apply to anyone in general.
Important Notes
Uno is used in the singular, and the verb is conjugated in the 3rd person singular.
The feminine form is una and follows the same rules.
In many informal contexts, native speakers prefer the impersonal se or 3rd person plural instead of uno.
EXAMPLES:
Cuando uno viaja, aprende mucho.
(When one travels, one learns a lot.)
Uno debe ser paciente en situaciones difíciles.
(One must be patient in difficult situations.)
No se debe hablar así. (More common alternative to uno)
(You/One should not speak like that.)
Uno nunca sabe lo que puede pasar.
(One never knows what can happen.)
En este país, uno come muy bien.
(In this country, one eats very well.)
Great! We learned about the 5 most common types of impersonal expressions in the Spanish language. The next thing on our list is to cover the main impersonal pronouns that we use to form impersonal expressions.
Ready to move on, Estudiante?
Impersonal pronouns are a pretty useful thing. We use them to talk about people in general without specifying who exactly is doing the action.
Unlike personal pronouns (yo, tú, él, etc.), impersonal pronouns do not refer to specific persons and do not change according to the grammatical person.
Here is a list of 4 impersonal pronouns that you should know when we talk about impersonal expressions:
IMPERSONAL PRONOUNS:
Se:
The most common impersonal pronoun used to convey general actions or facts without naming the subject.
Uno/Una:
These pronouns mean “one” in English and are used to refer to people generally, but formally.
Ellos/Ellas (Unstated Subject):
Sometimes, Spanish uses the 3rd person plural conjugation with no explicit subject to make general statements.
Tú (General You):
Informal impersonal use of “you” in conversational Spanish to speak about people generally.
With the impersonal pronouns listed above, you will be able to create impersonal expressions with ease. Let’s take a look at some examples below:
EXAMPLES:
Se celebran fiestas populares en toda la región durante el verano.
(Popular festivals are celebrated all over the region during summer.)
Uno nunca sabe cuándo llegará una oportunidad importante.
(One never knows when an important opportunity will arrive.)
Dicen que las calles antiguas tienen historias misteriosas.
(They say the old streets have mysterious stories.)
Cuando tú caminas por el parque, puedes ver muchos tipos de aves.
(When you walk through the park, you can see many kinds of birds.)
Se construyen nuevas escuelas para mejorar la educación.
(New schools are being built to improve education.)
Knowing these 4 impersonal pronouns will help you form and use the impersonal expressions in your everyday Spanish. In the next section, we will go through several common situations where we will use impersonal expressions.
Impersonal expressions in Spanish are useful for talking about general ideas, rules, feelings, or facts without mentioning who is doing the action.
They can follow different formulas, which you have seen in the previous section, and are widely used in spoken and written language.
Now it is time to take a look at the 4 most common situations or cases where you will be using impersonal expressions.
SITUATIONS:
1) General Truths and Facts
2) Instructions and Signs
3) Weather Expressions
4) Cultural Customs and Habits
Let’s dive deeper into each situation separately and take a look at some example sentences together, shall we?
These expressions state facts or truths that are generally accepted. They often start with phrases like Es + adjective or use verbs like Hay or Hace. The focus is on the idea, not on who does it. Here are some examples:
EXAMPLES:
Es cierto que la Tierra es redonda.
(It is true that the Earth is round.)
Hay muchas estrellas en el cielo.
(There are many stars in the sky.)
Hace frío en invierno.
(It is cold in winter.)
No es seguro que llegue a tiempo.
(It is not certain that he/she will arrive on time.)
Es importante cuidar el medio ambiente.
(It is important to take care of the environment.)
Se dice que la historia es fascinante.
(It is said that history is fascinating.)
These impersonal expressions are commonly used to give orders, rules, or recommendations in public places or formal contexts, like signs, instructions, or warnings. We often use the impersonal se or impersonal verbs in these cases.
EXAMPLES:
No se permite fumar aquí.
(Smoking is not allowed here.)
Se debe usar casco en la obra.
(Helmets must be worn at the construction site.)
Está prohibido pasar.
(Entry is forbidden.)
Hay que respetar las señales de tráfico.
(One must obey the traffic signs.)
No es recomendable usar el móvil mientras conduces.
(It is not advisable to use the phone while driving.)
Se solicita silencio durante la presentación.
(Silence is requested during the presentation.)
Spanish speakers use impersonal phrases frequently to talk about the weather, often using verbs like hacer, estar, or llover, and impersonal se.
EXAMPLES:
Hace sol durante el día.
(It is sunny during the day.)
Está nublado hoy.
(It is cloudy today.)
Llueve mucho en primavera.
(It rains a lot in spring.)
Se espera tormenta para esta noche.
(A storm is expected tonight.)
Hace mucho viento cerca del mar.
(It is very windy near the sea.)
Nieva en las montañas en invierno.
(It snows in the mountains in winter.)
Impersonal expressions describe customs or cultural norms using general statements, often with impersonal se or ser + adjective.
EXAMPLES:
Se celebra la Navidad con la familia.
(Christmas is celebrated with family.)
Es tradicional comer pan dulce en las fiestas.
(It is traditional to eat sweet bread at celebrations.)
Se usan colores vivos en las festividades.
(Bright colors are used in the festivities.)
Es común tomar una siesta después del almuerzo.
(It is common to take a nap after lunch.)
Se baila flamenco en Andalucía.
(Flamenco is danced in Andalusia.)
Es normal saludar con un beso en la mejilla.
(It is normal to greet with a kiss on the cheek.)
Remember these 4 situations because they will come in handy later on when you have to decide if it is the right time to use an impersonal expression. They will guide you to make the right decision.
The next topic we are going to cover is the difference between the Impersonal Se and the Passive Se.
Impersonal Se and Passive Se might appear similar at first, but they are two different things, and we use them differently in the Spanish language.
Here are some short definitions of each concept:
IMPERSONAL SE:
Impersonal Se talks about general actions done by people in general, always with a singular verb.
Uses se + verb (3rd person singular), and the verb is always singular.
PASSIVE SE:
Passive Se talks about actions done to things or objects, with verb agreement, and corresponds to the passive voice in English.
Also uses se, but the verb agrees in number with the noun it refers to (singular or plural). It is often used with transitive verbs (verbs that directly act on a noun)
HOW TO TELL THEM APART?
To make it easier for you to see the difference between Passive Se and Impersonal Se, here are a couple of things you can look at:
VERB FORM:
Impersonal Se: Always 3rd person Singular
Passive Se: Agrees with the noun (singular/plural)
SUBJECT:
Impersonal Se: No explicit subject. We don’t say who exactly is doing the action, because it doesn’t matter or isn’t known.
Passive Se: No explicit subject, the noun receiving action is the subject.
VERB TYPE:
Impersonal Se: Usually intransitive verbs
Passive Se: Usually transitive verbs
MEANING:
Impersonal Se: General statements, habits, truths
Passive Se: Actions done to something (passive)
Look at the examples below and try to spot the passive se and the impersonal se on your own.
EXAMPLES:
Se disfruta mucho del arte en esta ciudad.
(People enjoy art a lot in this city.)
Se aprende rápido con práctica constante.
(One learns quickly with constant practice.)
Se habla de la importancia de la salud mental hoy en día.
(People talk about the importance of mental health nowadays.)
Se venden entradas para el concierto en la taquilla.
(Tickets for the concert are sold at the box office.)
Se pintaron las paredes de la escuela durante las vacaciones.
(The school walls were painted during the holidays.)
Se preparan platos típicos para las festividades.
(Typical dishes are prepared for the festivities.)
Try to learn the difference between them early on, it will make mastering impersonal expressions much easier for you.
The last thing on our path is to talk about some golden rules that will give you some more clarity on how and when you should use impersonal expressions.
Learning how to form and use impersonal expressions and deciding when should you use them is not an easy task. Sometimes it can get confusing on deciding what type do you need to use.
To make it easier to understand and remember, we will now go over several Golden Rules that can help you use impersonal expressions in Spanish correctly.
Impersonal expressions never have a specific subject. They talk about actions or ideas in a general way, like “people,” “one,” or “they” in English without naming who exactly does the action.
When using impersonal verbs or impersonal se, the verb must always be conjugated in the third person singular form, regardless of any implied subject.
EXAMPLES:
Se celebra carnaval cada año en esta ciudad.
(Carnival is celebrated every year in this city.)
Se recomienda beber agua antes, durante y después del ejercicio.
(It is recommended to drink water before, during, and after exercise.)
Se construye un parque nuevo en el centro.
(A new park is being built downtown.)
To express opinions, emotions, doubts, or necessities impersonally, use:
es + (masculine singular adjective) + que + subjunctive verb.
The adjective stays masculine singular even if the subject is feminine or plural.
The verb following que is always in the subjunctive mood.
EXAMPLES:
Es esencial que escuches con atención durante la clase.
(It is essential that you listen carefully during class.)
Es probable que llueva mañana, así que lleva un paraguas.
(It is likely that it will rain tomorrow, so bring an umbrella.)
Es sorprendente que ella hable tres idiomas tan bien.
(It is surprising that she speaks three languages so well.)
We discussed this earlier, but it never hurts to repeat something like that.
Some verbs are always impersonal when talking about existence, weather, time, or temperature:
Hay (there is/are)
Hace (it makes/it is – weather/time)
Es (it is – for time or general statements)
EXAMPLES:
Hay muchas estrellas visibles en el cielo esta noche.
(There are many stars visible in the sky tonight.)
Hace calor durante el día en verano.
(It is hot during the day in summer.)
Es temprano para salir, todavía son las seis.
(It is early to leave, it is still six o’clock.)
When using se for impersonal/passive constructions, never mention a specific person or thing performing the action.
Impersonal se: used for general actions by people in general.
Passive se: something is done to an object.
EXAMPLES:
Se viaja mucho en verano.
(People travel a lot in summer.) — Impersonal se, general action by people in general.
Se entregan paquetes en esta dirección.
(Packages are delivered to this address.) — Passive se, something done to an object/package.
En este parque, se corre todos los días.
(In this park, people run every day.) — Impersonal se, general action with no specified subject.
Bien Hecho, Estudiante! Good job on going through the full lesson about the impersonal expressions in Spanish. Warm up your mind, it is time to give that new knowledge of yours some practice. In the next section, we are going to work on solving a few exercises that will help you strengthen your new knowledge and make it stick in your memory.
Ready for some practice time?
To reinforce your knowledge and improve the retention of the things you have learned today, we will complete a few exercises that are all about impersonal expressions in Spanish.
The first lesson is a classic multiple choice format, then we move on to some fill-in-the-blanks exercises, and we finish with a find-the-mistakes exercise. In the last exercise, you must read the dialogue and detect the mistakes connected to impersonal expressions. When you find the mistakes, you must provide the correct answers.
To complete the exercises most effectively, use your pen and a study notebook, write down all the sentences with correct answers, and read each sentence you create aloud. This will make it stick better in your brain. Do not cheat and look at the solutions. Give it a go and don’t be afraid to make mistakes, that is part of the process.
1. En España ____ muy tarde por la noche.
a) se come
b) comemos
c) comí
(People eat very late at night in Spain.)
2. Hoy ____ mucho viento.
a) hace
b) tiene
c) está
(It’s very windy today.)
3. ____ importante que practiques todos los días.
a) Es
b) Está
c) Hay
(It is important that you practice every day.)
4. ____ que la película es muy buena.
a) Dicen
b) Decimos
c) Dije
(They say the movie is very good.)
5. Cuando ____ viaja, aprende mucho.
a) uno
b) se
c) tú
(When one travels, one learns a lot.)
6. En esta oficina ____ mucho.
a) se trabaja
b) trabajamos
c) trabajan
(People work a lot in this office.)
7. En el norte de España ____ mucho en invierno.
a) nieva
b) nevar
c) nevó
(It snows a lot in northern Spain in winter.)
8. En este parque ____ correr todos los días.
a) se puede
b) puedo
c) puedes
(You can run in this park every day.)
9. ____ necesario que lleguemos temprano.
a) Es
b) Está
c) Hay
(It is necessary that we arrive early.)
10. En esta ciudad ____ muy bien.
a) se vive
b) vivimos
c) vivieron
(People live well in this city.)
11. ____ que mañana va a llover.
a) Dicen
b) Decimos
c) Dice
(They say it’s going to rain tomorrow.)
12. En este país, ____ muy bien.
a) uno come
b) comemos
c) comer
(One eats very well in this country.)
1 – a) se come
2 – a) hace
3 – a) Es
4 – a) Dicen
5 – a) uno
6 – a) se trabaja
7 – a) nieva
8 – a) se puede
9 – a) Es
10 – a) se vive
11 – a) Dicen
12 – a) uno come
1. En esta calle no _______ estacionar.
(You can’t park on this street.)
2. _______ cierto que el español es una lengua muy hablada.
(It is true that Spanish is a widely spoken language.)
3. En las montañas _______ mucho frío en invierno.
(It is very cold in the mountains in winter.)
4. _______ que la tienda abre a las 9.
(They say the store opens at 9.)
5. En esta región _______ muchas fiestas durante el verano.
(There are many festivals in this region during the summer.)
6. Cuando _______ está en otro país, aprende costumbres nuevas.
(When one is in another country, one learns new customs.)
7. En esta empresa _______ muy temprano todos los días.
(Work starts very early every day in this company.)
8. _______ probable que mañana tengamos examen.
(It is likely that we will have an exam tomorrow.)
9. En Andalucía _______ flamenco en las fiestas.
(Flamenco is danced at parties in Andalusia.)
10. En la playa _______ mucho sol en agosto.
(It is very sunny at the beach in August.)
11. En el museo _______ fotos antiguas de la ciudad.
(Old photos of the city are displayed in the museum.)
12. Cuando _______ estudia con constancia, se mejora rápido.
(When one studies consistently, one improves quickly.)
1 – se puede
2 – Es
3 – hace
4 – Dicen
5 – hay
6 – uno
7 – se empieza
8 – Es
9 – se baila
10 – hace
11 – se muestran
12 – se
Dialogue Context: Two friends, Raquel and Daniel, are talking about life in Spain and their daily routines. Read the text carefully and mark the mistakes (Hint: there are 8 of them). After you identify them, write down the correct answers in your study notebook.
Raquel: En España se comen muy tarde por la noche.
Daniel: Sí, es verdad. Pero aquí en mi ciudad se vive muy bienes.
Raquel: Yo pienso que es necesario que tú llegas temprano al trabajo.
Daniel: Claro, pero en mi empresa se empiezan las reuniones a las nueve.
Raquel: ¿Y cómo es el clima en invierno allí?
Daniel: Normalmente están mucho frío en diciembre.
Raquel: En mi región dicen que uno deben usar abrigo siempre.
Daniel: Sí, y además, hay muchas lluviendo en enero.
Raquel: ¡Qué interesante! Cuando se viaja, aprenden mucho sobre otras culturas.
Daniel: Exacto, y es importante que estudiar español todos los días.
Raquel: También es común que en las fiestas se bailan flamenco.
Daniel: Sí, aunque en mi pueblo pequeño, no se permiten fumar en los bares.
Mistake: En España se comen muy tarde por la noche.
Correction: En España se come muy tarde por la noche.
Explanation: With impersonal se, the verb must be singular → se + 3rd person singular.
Mistake: se vive muy bienes
Correction: Se vive muy bien.
Explanation: The adverb bien (well) does not take plural → bienes is wrong here.
Mistake: es necesario que tú llegas temprano
Correction: Es necesario que tú llegues temprano.
Explanation: With es + adjective + que, the verb goes in the subjunctive mood.
Mistake: se empiezan las reuniones a las nueve
Correction: Se empieza la reunión a las nueve.
Explanation: Impersonal se uses singular unless it’s passive se with a plural subject. Here it’s a general impersonal statement.
Mistake: están mucho frío en diciembre
Correction: Hace mucho frío en diciembre.
Explanation: Weather expressions use hace frío, not estar.
Mistake: uno deben usar abrigo siempre
Correction: Uno debe usar abrigo siempre.
Explanation: Uno is singular, so the verb must also be singular.
Mistake: hay muchas lluviendo en enero
Correction: Llueve mucho en enero.
Explanation: The correct impersonal verb is llover → llueve. Hay + gerund doesn’t work here.
Mistake: cuando se viaja, aprenden mucho sobre otras culturas
Correction: Cuando se viaja, se aprende mucho sobre otras culturas.
Explanation: Stay consistent: se viaja → must also use impersonal se aprende (singular).
Nice! Well done, Estudiante! You have completed the full lesson about Impersonal Expressions in Spanish, and you are now able to use them freely in your future Spanish conversations. This is an important step towards reaching fluency because Spanish speakers often use impersonal expressions.
Take your time and complete the exercises. Don’t skip them because they help you learn and memorise all the new things you learned today.
When you are ready for some more grammar lessons, go ahead and proceed to the next lesson.
In case you are looking for a quick break, take a look at some short stories to expand your vocabulary in the short stories section of the platform.
Here are a few stories you can start with: