Serbian se: Impersonal and Reciprocal Constructions
You already met se as a true reflexive ("oneself"), but the same little word does two more jobs in Serbian — and they pull in opposite directions. In one, there is no subject at all; in the other, there are clearly two or more. Once you can tell them apart, a lot of everyday Serbian suddenly clicks. The first job is impersonal. Here se says what gets done in general, with nobody in particular doing it. The verb sits in the 3rd-person singular, and there is no "I," "you," or "they" attached. This is exactly what you read on signs and hear in everyday rules: "Ovde se ne puši." (No smoking here.) or "Ovde se govori srpski." (Serbian is spoken here.) It is also how you ask about usage itself: "Kako se to kaže?" or "Kako se to kaže na srpskom?" (How do you say that?). In English you reach for the passive ("is spoken"), or for vague subjects like "one," "you," or "people" — Serbian just drops in se and lets the verb stay singular. The second job is reciprocal: two or more people doing something to each other. Now the verb is plural, and se carries the meaning English spells out with "each other" or "one another." So "Volimo se." is "We love each other," "Poznaju se godinama." is "They've known each other for years," and the warm sign-offs "Vidimo se sutra." (See you tomorrow.) and "čujemo se" (we keep in touch / we'll be in touch) are reciprocal too. Notice that English needs the extra words "each other"; Serbian packs all of it into se. Word order matters. Se is a clitic that wants second position — it comes right after the first stressed word or phrase in the clause (Ovde se…, Vidimo se…, Kako se…). It can't open a sentence and shouldn't be stranded at the end. Three mistakes to avoid. First, don't bolt a concrete subject onto an impersonal sentence: "Kako ti to kažeš?" means "How do YOU say that?" — a real question to one person, not the general "Kako se to kaže?" Second, never drop se in a reciprocal: "Vidimo sutra" loses the "each other" and stops meaning "see you." Third, mind the clitic's second-position slot rather than placing it by English word order.
Examples
- Kako se to kaže? How do you say that?
- Ovde se ne puši. No smoking here.
- Vidimo se sutra. See you tomorrow.
The full lesson
Everything in the video, in text.
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Ovde se ne puši. Vidimo se sutra. Two perfectly ordinary sentences — yet the same little se is doing two completely different jobs. In one there's nobody at all; in the other, two people turn the action back on each other. Let's clear this up for good.
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The particle se with a verb can do a lot, but today we'll look at two key jobs. The first is impersonal: you say what gets done, but never say who. The second is reciprocal: two or more people do the same action to each other. Same three letters, two different worlds.
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Let's start with impersonal se. Here there's no subject, no specific person doing the action. You're talking about a general rule, a custom, or what's allowed. The verb usually sits in the third person singular, and se gives it that impersonal, general feel — as if it applies to everyone.
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Look at the classic sign you see on buildings and in cafés: Ovde se ne puši. Who isn't smoking? No one in particular — it's a rule for everyone. There's no subject, the verb is in the third person, and se carries that general, impersonal message. That's how you write a ban without pointing the finger at anyone.
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You ask the same way how something is pronounced or named. This is a sentence you'll need every day while learning the language: Kako se to kaže na srpskom? Again no subject — you're not asking how you say it, but how it's said in general. Impersonal se turns the question into a general one, as if you're asking the whole language.
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Impersonal se also describes a custom or what's usual in a place. On a sign in a shop or on a clinic door you'll read: Ovde se govori srpski. It doesn't say who speaks it — the message is that Serbian is the language of the house. Govori se, radi se, jede se: that's the pattern for anything that holds in general.
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Now let's move to the second job — reciprocal se. Here there's very much a subject: two or more people. But they don't do the action to some third party; they do it to each other, mutually. The subject is plural, and se means one another.
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You hear it most warmly in one verb. When two people love each other, they simply say: Volimo se. We love — whom? Each other. Here se doesn't erase the subject; on the contrary, it shows the love goes both ways, mutually.
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The most common goodbye at parting is also reciprocal se. When you part with someone, you don't say farewell but: Vidimo se sutra. Vidimo se — we'll see each other. There's a subject, we, and the action is reciprocal. That's why it sounds warmer than a plain goodbye.
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Here are more reciprocal verbs you'll use all the time — they all follow the same pattern: a plural subject plus se. Poznaju se godinama i često se čuju. Poznaju se — they know each other. Čuju se — they keep in touch with each other. Vole se, grle se, mire se: when two people do the same thing to each other, in comes se.
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And now the main trap, the reason you're here. The big temptation is to translate an impersonal sentence with a concrete subject — with you or they. But Kako se to kaže is not Kako ti to kažeš. The moment you slip in a person, you lose that impersonal, general meaning.
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And the reverse: with reciprocal se, don't drop the se and turn it into an action on a third party. Vidimo se means each other; without se, vidimo calls for an object — whom do we see? Let se carry the reciprocity.
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Let's recap. Impersonal se: you say what gets done, but not who — Ovde se ne puši, Kako se to kaže. Reciprocal se: two people act on each other — volimo se, vidimo se. Ask yourself: is there no one at all, or are the two of us doing it to each other? The answer tells you which se it is.