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Translation clarification: impersonal se

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Jorriss
June 18, 2016, 01:13 PM
Hi, I am looking to translate the following two sentences:

First, "se ve que la gente es muy amable y habladora."

Is this best interpreted as an impersonal se, and thus it is "One sees that the people are very kind and talkative?"


Second, "El restaurante se llena." I understand this gets the point across "The restaurant is full" but I don't know the precise interpretation/translation of se in this context.

Thank you for your help.

Rusty
June 18, 2016, 05:43 PM
The first example contains an impersonal 'se' construct. The other does not.

Another translation of the impersonal usage, in colloquial American English, is, "You (no one in particular), or they (again, no one in particular), see that the people are very kind and talkative."

The verb in your last sentence is preceded by the third-person reflexive pronoun 'se' of the pronominal verb 'llenarse'. The verb is translated as 'is filling up' or 'getting full' when conjugated as in your example.