Passive with Reflexive Pronoun 'Se' (e.g., Govori se)
Grammar Rule in 30 Seconds
Use 'se' with a third-person verb to describe actions where the agent is unknown or irrelevant.
- Use singular 'se' for singular subjects: 'Govori se hrvatski' (Croatian is spoken).
- Use plural 'se' for plural subjects: 'Prodaju se kuće' (Houses are being sold).
- The verb must always be in the third person (he/she/it or they).
Passive 'Se' Conjugation
| Subject | Verb (Singular) | Verb (Plural) | Passive Form |
|---|---|---|---|
|
3rd Person
|
radi
|
rade
|
se radi / se rade
|
|
3rd Person
|
čita
|
čitaju
|
se čita / se čitaju
|
|
3rd Person
|
prodaje
|
prodaju
|
se prodaje / se prodaju
|
Meanings
This construction allows you to express passive ideas without needing a specific subject. It is the most natural way to say 'people do X' or 'X is done' in Croatian.
Impersonal Passive
Describing general actions where the subject is unknown.
“Ovdje se govori hrvatski.”
“U restoranu se jede riba.”
Reflexive Passive
Describing objects receiving an action.
“Prodaju se stanovi.”
“Kupuju se ulaznice.”
Reference Table
| Form | Structure | Example |
|---|---|---|
|
Affirmative
|
Verb + se
|
Govori se hrvatski.
|
|
Negative
|
Ne + Verb + se
|
Ne govori se hrvatski.
|
|
Question
|
Verb + li + se
|
Govori li se hrvatski?
|
|
Plural
|
Verb(pl) + se
|
Prodaju se kuće.
|
|
Past
|
Verb(past) + se
|
Govorilo se hrvatski.
|
|
Future
|
Će + se + Verb
|
Govorit će se hrvatski.
|
Espectro de formalidade
Knjiga se čita. (General)
Čita se knjiga. (General)
Čita se. (General)
Čita se, brate. (General)
The Se Passive Map
Usage
- Signage Signs
- General General facts
Rules
- 3rd person Verb form
- Agreement Singular/Plural
Exemplos por nível
Ovdje se govori hrvatski.
Croatian is spoken here.
Prodaje se kruh.
Bread is sold.
Pije se kava.
Coffee is drunk.
Čita se knjiga.
A book is read.
Prodaju se stanovi.
Apartments are for sale.
Kupuju se ulaznice.
Tickets are being bought.
Ne radi se danas.
We are not working today.
Što se radi ovdje?
What is being done here?
O tome se često priča.
That is often talked about.
U restoranu se poslužuje večera.
Dinner is served in the restaurant.
Zgrade se grade brzo.
Buildings are being built quickly.
Ne zna se istina.
The truth is not known.
Odluke se donose na sastanku.
Decisions are made at the meeting.
Pravila se moraju poštovati.
Rules must be respected.
Ovaj se problem lako rješava.
This problem is easily solved.
Sve se može naučiti.
Everything can be learned.
U javnosti se raspravlja o zakonu.
The law is being debated in public.
Ovi se podaci smatraju točnima.
These data are considered accurate.
Slučaj se istražuje mjesecima.
The case has been investigated for months.
Očekuje se bolji rezultat.
A better result is expected.
Ovakve se pojave rijetko susreću.
Such phenomena are rarely encountered.
Sumnja se da je došlo do pogreške.
It is suspected that an error occurred.
Naglašava se važnost obrazovanja.
The importance of education is emphasized.
Pretpostavlja se da će padati kiša.
It is assumed that it will rain.
Fácil de confundir
Learners confuse 'se' passive with reflexive verbs like 'prati se' (to wash oneself).
Learners use 'biti' + participle instead of 'se'.
Mixing up 'to' with 'se'.
Erros comuns
Se govori hrvatski.
Govori se hrvatski.
Govori hrvatski.
Govori se hrvatski.
Prodaje se kuće.
Prodaju se kuće.
On se govori.
Govori se.
Kupuje se ulaznice.
Kupuju se ulaznice.
Ne se radi.
Ne radi se.
Se kupuje ulaznice.
Kupuju se ulaznice.
To se smatraju točnim.
To se smatra točnim.
Odluke se donosi.
Odluke se donose.
Se očekuje bolji rezultat.
Očekuje se bolji rezultat.
Sumnja se da su se dogodile pogreške.
Sumnja se da je došlo do pogreške.
Ovakve pojave se rijetko susreće.
Ovakve se pojave rijetko susreću.
Naglašava se važnosti.
Naglašava se važnost.
Padrões de frases
Ovdje se ___ ___.
___ se ___.
Ne ___ se ___.
O tome se ___ ___.
Real World Usage
Prodaje se.
Očekuje se rast.
Puno se priča o tome.
Dogovara se sastanak.
Ovdje se jede riba.
Priprema se hrana.
Check the number
Don't start with Se
Use it for signs
Be objective
Smart Tips
Always use the 'se' passive for clarity.
Use 'se' to generalize.
Use 'se' instead of 'netko'.
Use plural 'se' for multiple items.
Pronúncia
Se
Pronounced like 'seh' with a short 'e'.
Statement
Govori se hrvatski ↘
Neutral statement of fact.
Memorize
Mnemônico
Think of 'Se' as a 'Secret Agent'—the person doing the action is a secret!
Associação visual
Imagine a shop window with a 'Prodaje se' sign. The owner is hiding behind the sign, so you only see the sign, not the person.
Rhyme
When the doer is unknown, use 'se' and you're in the zone.
Story
In a quiet village, no one knows who paints the fences. People say 'Boje se ograde' (Fences are painted). The 'se' hides the painter, keeping the village mystery alive.
Word Web
Desafio
Go to a news website and find 3 headlines using 'se'.
Notas culturais
Used heavily in public signs and news to maintain a formal, objective tone.
The 'se' construction evolved from the Old Church Slavonic reflexive pronoun.
Iniciadores de conversa
Što se radi u tvom gradu?
Govori li se engleski u Hrvatskoj?
Kako se rješavaju problemi u tvom poslu?
Smatra li se da je to važno?
Temas para diário
Erros comuns
Test Yourself
Ovdje se ___ (govoriti) hrvatski.
___ se kuće.
Find and fix the mistake:
Se prodaje kruh.
Arrange the words in the correct order:
All words placed
Click words above to build the sentence
Tickets are sold here.
Answer starts with: Pro...
A: Što se radi? B: ___.
o / se / zakonu / raspravlja
Which is plural?
Score: /8
Exercicios praticos
8 exercisesOvdje se ___ (govoriti) hrvatski.
___ se kuće.
Find and fix the mistake:
Se prodaje kruh.
se / priča / puno / o tome
Tickets are sold here.
A: Što se radi? B: ___.
o / se / zakonu / raspravlja
Which is plural?
Score: /8
Perguntas frequentes (8)
Most transitive verbs work, but some intransitive ones don't.
It must agree with the object in number.
It is neutral and used everywhere.
Use the singular form.
Yes, 'Govorilo se'.
No, reflexive is about the subject.
It's a clitic particle.
Yes, 'Govori li se?'
Scaffolded Practice
1
2
3
4
Mastery Progress
Needs Practice
Improving
Strong
Mastered
In Other Languages
Se vende
Spanish 'se' is even more frequent.
On
Croatian keeps the verb conjugation.
Man
German uses a pronoun, Croatian uses a particle.
Passive form
Japanese changes the verb stem.
Passive voice
Arabic is morphological.
Bei
Chinese is analytic.
