There are words in Spanish which change their meaning simply when you use a written accent. Let's look at sé vs se.
Sé vs Se in Spanish
Sé
Sé with an accent is the first person (yo) conjugation of the verb saber in the present tense in Spanish. Here are some examples:
Sé from the verb ser (to be) is also the imperative (affirmative) form for tú. For example:
Se
Se without an accent is a pronoun. It's used in reflexive verbs for the 3rd person singular and plural:
Se is also used as an impersonal pronoun to express general statements, for example:
Remember!
Sé = "I know" / "Be" (verb)
Se = pronoun
For more detailed lessons on uses of "se" without an accent see:
- Spanish pronouns le / les become se when used with lo, la, los, las (indirect with direct pronouns)
- Expressing instructions and general statements in Spanish with the impersonal se = one
- Conjugate reflexive verbs in the present tense in Spanish (El Presente)
- Reciprocal verbs in Spanish and position of the reflexive pronoun
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