B1 · Reflexive verbs
The se with no person
The verb agrees with the thing sold: vende-se casa, vendem-se casas.
Fala-se português means « Portuguese is spoken here » or « one speaks Portuguese ». There is no subject.
If a noun is there, the verb agrees with it: vende-se casa, but vendem-se casas. This is the part worth slowing down for, because English hides the same choice behind a passive: « a house is sold » and « houses are sold » agree too, and nobody thinks about it. Here the agreement is with a noun that comes after the verb and does not look like a subject, which is why native speakers themselves often skip it in speech. In writing it is the rule.
The same construction with a gente is the colloquial alternative: a gente fala português means « we speak Portuguese » and takes the singular.
And a third person plural with no subject does the same job: dizem que vai chover — « they say it is going to rain », exactly the English trick with an unidentified « they ».
Die Form
| Portuguese is spoken here | fala-se português |
| house for sale | vende-se casa |
| houses for sale | vendem-se casas |
| the food is good here | come-se bem aqui |
| we are going | a gente vai |
| they say it will rain | dizem que vai chover |
Die Regeln im Einzelnen
se with no subject means « one ».
Come-se muito bem neste sítio.The food is very good in this place.
With a plural the verb goes in the plural.
Vendem-se apartamentos.Flats for sale.
a gente is the colloquial version.
A gente vai ao cinema hoje.We are going to the cinema today.
A third person plural with no subject does the same.
Dizem que o restaurante é bom.They say the restaurant is good.
Woran man es erkennt
- fala-se
- vende-se
- come-se
- a gente
- dizem
Beispielsätze
Aluga-se quarto, com direito a cozinha.Room to let, kitchen included.
Aqui não se fuma.No smoking here.
A gente encontra-se às oito.We are meeting at eight.
Como se diz isto em português?How do you say this in Portuguese?
Die typisch deutsche Falle
Aufgepasst
A gente means « we » and takes the *singular*: a gente vai, not a gente vamos. It is a noun — literally « the people » — and behaves like one. English has the same trap in miniature with « the team is » against « the team are », so the idea is familiar even if the word is not.
a gente means we and conjugates like he.
Jetzt selbst
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