What does no se puede mean? 'Se' is for reflexive verbs right?

Question

it's like se lava or se llama right?

or is it a whole new thing?

Answer 1

Hope you don't get upset, hehe, but I've seen books categorize the different uses of -se- into a dozen buckets, and here they're boiled down to nine.



1) reflexive -se-: me lavo la cara (a mí mismo)

2) reciprocal -se-: nos lavamos la cara (el uno al otro)

3) inherent -se-: quejarse, atrevaerse and any other verb where the pronoun must be used

4) meaning-changing -se-: Me llevo bien con tu hermano. I get along well with your brother.

5) intransivitizing -se-: Abro la puerta. -versus- La puerta se abre.

6) Psych verbs: aburrise(se), alegrar(se), etc.

7) causative -se-: Mario se operó el hombro. Mario had his shoulder operated on.

8) passive -se- and impersonal -se-: No se puede (your example is impersonal -se-)

9) unplanned occurrances -se-: Se me rompieron los vasos.



Personally I think this many categories is too many and especially because many of these collapse into being a kind of instransivitizing -se-. But textbooks teach it this way and perhaps many students like it that way. The reason why I said don't get upset is because "pronomial verbs" (those that use the "reflexive pronouns") way outnumber the handful of truly reflexive verbs that are taught in beginning Spanish. But the true reflexives are easy to teach and presumably easier to understand, so all the other uses of -se- are delayed until much later in the curriculum.

Answer 2

This is a special use of reflexive verbs. IIRC, it is called the impersonal tense.



It is used when English would say, as in your example, ONE cannot or IT cannot be done.



The famous Se Habla Espanol is another of these. The usual translation is Spanish Spoken Here.

Answer 3

Yes it's a reflexive verb, meaning it's being used as an indirect pronoun, but it's slightly different. In the case of poder, it's being used as the 'passive you.' In English, we'd say 'you go to the supermarket to buy groceries', but you could have just as easily say 'one goes to the supermarket to buy groceries.'



Basically se is being used as 'you' without literally meaning the person the speaker is talking to.

Answer 4

"No se puede". You can´t do it- It's impossible to do it-

"No se requiere". It's not required

"No se usa- It's no used.

"No se traduce"- It's not translated.





"Se" is a pronoun with a variety of uses.

Paradigmatic or reflexive : alternate with other personal pronouns (me/te/nos/os).



- Direct complement - Instead of "Ie".



Le dio el regalo a Juan. Se lo dio.- He gave the gift to John. He gave it to him.



- Direct/Indirect complements:



Se miraban mutuamente. They looked at each other.

Se peina. He combs.



-in "middle" sentences with animate or inanimate subjects:



Juan se debilitó (con la enfermedad). Juan got weak (with the disease).

Juan se aburre.Juan get bored.



-with reflexive verbs:

Arrependirse, quejarse, avergonzarse, sonrojarse... get repent/complain/ashamed/blush ...



-With verbs that can be constructed with reflexive pronouns and without them:

Dormir / dormirse- Sleep / get asleep

Ir / irse- Go- get going



Other usages (impersonal constructions):



Aquí se vive bien- Here, life is good

Se venden pisos- Apartments for sale.