French Passive Impersonal ~ Impersonnel passif
The use of "se" in a passive construction with no agent
In French (and English) it is preferable to avoid the passive voice. French has numerous constructions which are commonly used in place of the passive voice, one of which is the passive impersonal.
The French passive impersonal is used in place of the passive voice in order to avoid naming the agent of a verb. The passive impersonal is formed with a noun or pronoun, then the reflexive pronoun se, and finally the appropriate verb conjugation (third person singular or plural). In essence, this construction uses a non-reflexive verb reflexively in order to demonstrate the passive nature of the action.
The literal translation of the French passive impersonal (something does something to itself) is strange to English ears, so it's important to recognize this construction and understand what it actually means.
| Ça se voit. | That's obvious. |
| Cela ne se dit pas. | That isn't said. |
| Ce livre se lit souvent. | This book is often read. |
| Un homme s'est rencontré hier. | A man was found yesterday. |
| Les mûres ne se vendent pas ici. | Blackberries are not sold here. |
| Ce produit devrait s'utiliser quotidiennement. | This product should be used daily. |
| Passive voice Pronominal voice Se |
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